Winter's Illness
by frostgirl227
Summary: Jack Frost is going to Burgess for soon to be 9 year old Jamie's birthday. The guardians seem to busy for Jack, leaving the spirit to himself. When something happens to him and Jack becomes dangerously ill, the dark disease could either kill him or his new family. Something is behind it. And the guardians have a pretty good idea of what is lurking in the shadows...the Boogeyman.
1. Chapter 1: Home

**The air was cold and crisp, whipping against Jack's face. The sun had just begin to rise, sending golden beams of light in every direction. Jamie would be so surprised. Jack Frost smiled to himself as the thought of the child consumed him, filling his body with excitement and longing. Jamie Bennett was turning nine, and Jack Frost wasn't going to miss it for the world. Jack did not care if it was the second of July. Snow was coming to Burgess whether it was ready or not.**

**Soon the town came into sight and Jack let out a sigh of relief. He had missed this place. Sure, it was great that Jack was allowed to hang around the North Pole with Sandy, Tooth, Bunny, and of course, North; but Burgess felt like...home. In Burgess, Jack could see Jamie whenever he pleased. Before school got out, Jack would always look at Jamie doing class work. Jack would always be thrilled if Jamie looked up at him and gasped, his brown eyes widening, pure joy emanating from his face.**

**Jack's staff pulsed with blue and white and He couldn't help but laugh with content as snow began to fall and frost began to coat the shop windows and slick the streets. He laughed even harder at the people's shocked and confused faces. Some people carrying loads fell victim to the smooth ice that coated the ground. This is just what he needed. The other guardians were too occupied with themselves to talk to him much which dampened his spirits a little and Jack felt a frown replace his reckless grin. But the youngest guardian shook off the thought and flew even faster. After all, Jack Frost was used to being ignored...**

**Jack was tired of being cramped up all the time in Santa's Workshop. Lately, everyone had been so busy. Toothiana was always with her sprites at Tooth Palace, working feverishly to collect children's teeth from every continent on the globe. Sandy never took a day off, always making sure that children's dreams stayed pure and innocent. It's not like he could talk to Jack anyway. He still hadn't been able to decipher the golden hieroglyphs that popped over the Sandman's head every time he wished to tell Jack something. **

**Even though North and Bunnymund worked one night a year, they weren't really around much. North was always in his office. Bunny just found him annoying and tried to stay away from him. Jack had came to Burgess to clear his head and have some fun. If the others were too busy, Jack would go to the one person who he could have a good time with. Jamie Bennett was just that person. Smiling broadly, Jack flew as fast as he could in the direction of the soon to be nine year old's neighborhood. **

**End of chapter one! **


	2. Chapter 2: I missed you

Winter's Illness

Chapter Two: I missed you

When Jamie Bennett first opened his eyes, the last thing he expected was to see was frost on his windows. But it was there, none the less. The eight year old sat up slowly in his bed, his brow creased. It was the middle of July. The temperature in Burgess never got below 80 degrees. It was way too hot to ice over, let alone snow. Jamie's eyes went wide and his mouth hung open as he realized what this meant. Jack was back in Burgess!

Letting out a gasp of joy, Jamie threw off his bed sheets and ran over to his window. Sure enough, the lawn was coated in white snow. He scampered to his closet and picked out a decent size coat that would keep him warm. Smiling broadly, Jamie hurried over to his little sister's room down the hall.

Jamie shook Sophie Bennett's small figure vigorously, barely containing his excitement. "Soph! Hey, Sophie! Wake up! Wake up!" The four year old rubbed her eyes and looked up at him through her wild blonde hair. Her older brother's brown eyes were wide and he was jumping up and down. "Get up! Get up! Get up! Get up!" Sophie sat up and her eyes got wide too. "Snowy?"

Sophie was one of the few people who believed in Jack Frost. Jamie's friends had stopped believing in him a while ago; claiming that what happened in April was just a dream. Jamie had been heartbroken when he thought of how Jack must have felt. Laughing, Jamie grabbed Sophie's hand and led her to a nearby window. Her finger pointed to the frost and snow. "Pretty!"

"You know what this means, Soph!?" Sophie gasped and jumped up and down, clapping her hands together and giggling up at him. "Jackie!" The two ran down the stairs of their house and into the kitchen, where Mrs. Bennett was cooking breakfast. She spotted her children hastily putting on their shoes and laughed. "My, my, you two are certainly in a hurry! And with this snow in July! What is the world coming to?" The children didn't have time to answer; they were already half way across the yard, nearly tripping over themselves. Chuckling to herself, Mrs. Bennett shook her head and went back to cooking eggs on the stove.

Jack waited in a tree that was rooted in the center of the Burgess's front yard. That way, when Jamie came out, Jack wouldn't miss it. He felt his hoodie pocket, reassuring himself the present was still there. Jack's heart raced and he drummed his fingers on the branch he was laying on, looking up at the clouds. His arm hung loosely by his side, his hand holding his staff. He had dozed a little, and then woke up afraid he had missed an excited Jamie coming out to see him. But nothing had happened so far.

Closing his eyes, Jack relaxed his body and willed himself to be patient. The sun had come up less than an hour ago. It was only 7:30. Jamie was probably sleeping. Letting out a sigh, Jack breathed in the cold air and became still. He shouldn't be hasty. It was Jamie's Birthday after all. Smiling to himself, Jack let his mind drift. Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep.

"Jack! You promised! Get up!" Emma was above him, shaking his shoulder with her small hands. "You promised me we would go to town, that we would go ice skating!" Jack's eyes fluttered open and he smiled up at his little sister. She was in her night gown, starring up at him with her brown eyes, her voice pleading. "Emma, what time is it?" He rubbed his eyes and propped himself up with his elbow. "The sun just came up! Let's go!" She tugged on his hands and dragged him out of bed. Jack chuckled at her eagerness.

"We aren't supposed to leave for another hour or so! Why do you want to leave right now?" She smiled up at him. "Because I can spend more time with you!" This made Jack paused and smile back at her. "Okay. Go get dressed. Go on." Jack lightly pushed the giggling girl out of his room. Today was going to be the best day of her life. Jack would make sure of that. After all, it's not every day you turn eight years old.

The sound of a slamming door jolted Jack out of his dream. He sat up instantly, looking around with wide eyes. Then a smile broke across his face as he saw two small figures sprinting across the yard. Jack slid off the tree branch and landed lightly on his feet. A red faced Jamie nearly knocked him over as he slammed into the youngest guardian, wrapping his small arms around his waist.

"Jack! You're here! You're really here! I missed you!" Jack tried hard not to go still. He hadn't really gotten used to the whole "Contact" thing. Three hundred and eighteen years of being invisible and untouchable can really mess with a guy. Jack bent down and hugged Jamie back, and laughed at a giggling Sophie behind him. "Of course I'm here. You don't think I would miss your Birthday, did you?" Jamie let go of his hold on the teenager and looked down sheepishly.

"Well, you know, its summer and everything…I didn't think you would be allowed to…since you make it snow and stuff…" Jack laughed and ruffled Jamie's brown hair. "Not a chance. I wouldn't miss this for the world. Now, you guys want to have some fun?" With a flick of his hand, Jack made a snowball pile form at their feet. Jamie smiled widely and let out a laugh, grabbing a snowball and aiming it at Jack. As the snowball hit Jack in the shoulder, Jack grinned and sent two flying in Jamie's direction.

Sophie bent down and picked up a ball of snow. She giggled as she hobbled up to an unsuspecting Jamie and hit him in the side of his head. "Whoa!" Jamie fell over in the snow and looked up at her. "Soph! You're on my team!" Jack laughed at the site. Finally he was having some fun.

Pitch Black stared off into the darkness, his mind turning. He idly tapped his finger against his throne. So…Jack Frost had come back to Burgess. All for the boy who believed. It was perfect. Pitch had carefully planned it. He wasn't as strong as he once was, but if it worked….he would be more powerful than he was in the Dark Ages.

He had waited three months. He had been so weak. No one had been afraid. Oh but you cannot kill fear and it gradually resurfaced. Even though Pitch wasn't in his best condition, he could easily pull of his plan. He just had to get Jack Frost to come. Then….Pitch would make sure he got his revenge. Jack was going to suffer. Reaching down into the floor, Pitch summoned a small swirl of black sand. He grinned wickedly as the material weaved its way between his fingers.

Closing his hand, Pitch molded the dark substance and waited patiently. He uncurled his fingers and looked down at his creation. The small black bullet the size of a tic-tac rolled around on his palm. Pitch could practically see the poison swirling inside it. Yes, it would be fairly easy. The boy was distracted with the Bennett child's birthday.

If he could just get Jack to come to HIM. Suddenly an idea came into the Boogey man's head. It would be a trap…a complicated one that would probably drain his remaining strength, but it was a tempting idea. If all went as planned, Jack Frost would either die, or the Guardians would! Pitch's cracked lips spread into a smile as he laughed at his own genius. It was time for the King of Nightmares to get revenge. Except for this time, there would be no waking up from the dream.


	3. Chapter 3: Jamie

Winter Illness

Chapter Three: Jamie

North sat in front of the fire in his study, idly stroking his beard. His eyes were irritated and red from staring over papers. He could not remember the last time he had requested hot chocolate, but it was definitely time for a frothy mug of the warm drink. He rang a nearby bell and summoned an elf. North requested the refreshment and watched the elf scurry away. He rubbed his temples and stared into the fireplace.

A thought had been keeping his mind at work...but he couldn't speak of it around the elves or yetis, lest the youngest guardian hear word of it. Lately, the Russian had been having nightmares. They were very confusing. Full of darkness and shadows…full of Pitch Black. North could feel the power of the Boogey man growing. He felt it in his belly and his belly was never wrong.

Yes, the other Guardians needed to know… all of them except Jack Frost. There was no telling what the new guardian would do. Probably something foolish like tracking down Pitch himself! North did not want to see Jack hurt. He shivered at the thought of Jack unconscious in a crevasse in the Antarctic. He felt a father-like bond with the boy even if Jack hadn't really learned to open up yet, but North could not blame him for that. It was simply too dangerous for the teenager to handle alone.

North had to get the guardians to the North Pole. But he could not signal the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, and the Easter Bunny with the Aurora Borealis lights…then Pitch would suspect that they knew. They would have to keep their suspicions a secret. He wondered where the winter spirit was now. He felt a twinge of guilt for leaving Jack with no one to talk to besides himself. The yetis had said something about him going to Burgess for a child…..

An elf carried a mug of hot chocolate on a tray and presented it to North, bringing him out of thought, who absent mindedly took it and whisked the helper away. He would have to get the other guardians himself. The Yeti's could use the magic portals to bring them here. His mind made up, North rose from his chair and walked out of his study. He pointed to some nearby yetis.

"You two!" They stopped what they were doing and looked up at him. "Get the other Guardians. And hurry." The yetis nodded and pulled out a snow globe. They threw it on the ground and an explosion of colors burst out of thin air. Wasting no time, they stepped into it and in a flash of light, were gone with the portal. Sighing, North walked up to the big globe turning in his workshop. As he gazed at the lights, watching some flicker and some glow brighter, he secretly hoped they were not too late and that the spirit of winter had not gotten himself into trouble.

.oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooo.

Jack and Jamie sat on the child's bed reviewing what had happened later in the day. Jamie's mom had bought him a birthday cake and a couple presents. Jamie had secretly cut off a sliver for Jack and had saved in the fridge until his mom had gone to bed. Sophie was sound asleep in her room, giving Jamie time to hang out with Jack. Jamie looked up at the Guardian with big eyes. Jack momentarily thought of Emma but pushed the memory away.

"I'm so glad you're here! Now my birthday is even better!" Jack laughed and ruffled his hair. "I'm glad I'm here too. I can't believe you're turning nine….oh! That reminds me…"

Being careful to hide the present being withdrawn from his hoodie pocket, Jack looked at Jamie with excitement. "Close your eyes." Jamie put both hands over his face. "No peeking. Don't move your hands until I say." Jack gently placed the present on the boy's lap. "Open your eyes."

As his hands fell away from his face, Jamie gasped in delight as he saw the present in front of him. Jack had made sure to wrap it perfectly. Jamie's hands paused at the beautiful paper, not wanting to ruin it. "Go on. It's okay." Jack watched as Jamie gently unfolded the paper and gaped at the object underneath. "It's awesome!" Jamie carefully lifted up a small ice figure the size of a pencil.

The detail was incredible. Looking at it closely, Jamie's face lit up with glee. "It's you!" Jack smiled as Jamie cradled the gift in his hands. "It's not cold and it won't melt. That way you can keep it with you." Jamie looked to him with something mixed with awe and admiration. "Cool!"

Making sure to be extra quiet, the two spent the next couple of hours talking to each other about how everything was going in their lives. "Does it feel good to be on summer break?" Jamie sighed in relief. "It feels great. No more math homework!" They each took turns asking questions.

"How is everybody? It's been a while since I've seen the other Guardians! Is everyone okay? Is Pitch still dead?" Jamie was getting excited and Jack had to calm him down before being able to speak.

"Whoa, whoa, slow down! Slow down!" Jack chuckled. "Not so many questions!" He smiled as he thought. "Let's see….everyone's fine I guess. I haven't seen them much either. They've all been so…busy. North's always locked in his study, Tooth's getting everyone's teeth, Sandy is making sure dreams stay good, and Bunny's…well, you know, not really the kindest person to talk to. He stays away from me most of the time."

Jamie absorbed it in like a sponge. "What about Pitch? Is he still around?" Jack smiled and watched Jamie position himself under his bed covers. "Nah, Pitch is long gone. We made sure of that…" Jamie yawned and closed his eyes. "But…I mean, what if he isn't…you know?" Jack could tell Jamie was getting drowsier by the minute. "Don't worry Jamie….I'll make sure he never comes back."

He looked at an alarm clock and noticed it was pretty late and that he should probably hit the road. "Hey Jamie, I better go. You have church tomorrow and you need to get some sleep, okay?" Jamie nodded slowly and snuggled down into his pillow. Jack grabbed his staff that was rested on Jamie's dresser and turned back to the small boy, sliding the bed blanket on more of the boy. "Goodnight, Jamie."

Jack had almost reached the door when he heard Jamie whisper sleepily, "I love you." Jack paused and felt a lump form in his throat. It had been a while since anyone had told him that. A very long while.

"I love you, too." Jack gently closed Jamie's door behind him and opened a nearby window. He would miss the Bennett's. He would miss Burgess. Sighing, Jack quickly climbed out of the window and flew off in the direction of the North Pole.

.oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooooooo.

Pitch watched from the shadows as Jack Frost flew across the night sky. He grinned wickedly. He would not be flying for very long. He had waited for this moment for three months. Now the opportunity had finally presented itself. And what better time and place to get revenge?

The Boogeyman had a clear shot. Smiling in cruel delight, Pitch raised his hand and aimed it at the boy. Jack Frost would pay for Pitch's downfall. In a blast of swirling black sand, a small bullet shot out of his palm. As it focused in on its unaware target, the king of nightmares laughed a haunting laugh that would have sent a chill down anyone's spine. The nightmare had begun.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIII

Ughhh I feel evil! Sorry for the cliff hanger! I know this chapter kind of failed but I've been having so much writer's block lately I couldn't find the right words. :p Again guys, I'm sorry! Please don't hate on the chapter too much. I think I'm just going to post one every week instead of every day. For those of you who like this series, forgive me but my brain is going haywire. Ha ha what do you thinks going to happen to young Jackson? I feel so evil!


	4. Chapter 4: All wrong

Winter Illness

Chapter Four: All wrong

A scream of pain escaped Jack Frost's lips as something collided deep into his back. Jack flew forward, the blow knocking him off balance. The young Guardian winced in pain as his heartbeat pounded in his chest. His shoulder felt like it had been hit by a Semi-truck. Jack couldn't seem to breathe. What was happening?

Every bone in Jack's body suddenly ached and his blood became unbearably hot, which only made the winter spirit's body scream with more discomfort. His head swam and his ears started ringing. The atmosphere around Jack felt suffocating and thick. Jack's back felt like it had been burned.

The wind didn't seem to support him anymore; it seemed to struggle to keep him in the air. Jack tried to take in oxygen, but it didn't come and Jack let out shuttering gasps. His eyes began to get heavy. The last thing Jack was aware of was his fingers going numb, loosening the grip on his staff, and he watched it tumble downward into the darkness of night. As his vision faded, Jack realized with growing fear that he had started falling too.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooo

North had been staring at his Naughty and Nice tattoos on his arms when a burst of light to his left caused the Russian to look up. Out of a swirling portal of color stepped a confused but energetic Toothiana, a grumbling Bunny, and following behind him, a concerned Sandy. North calmly walked over to them, smiling, and opened his arms. "My fellow Guardians. You have come!"

Tooth was the first to notice his presence, and quickly fluttered into his arms, allowing the Guardian of wonder to engulf her in a massive bear hug. "Ah, Toothiana, I have missed you!" Tooth wrapped her thin arms around the burly man as much as she possibly could. North chuckled as he looked to the others and released the Tooth Fairy, who was a little frazzled from the tight embrace.

"Ah, Sandy! It's wonderful to see you again." The sandman nodded his head silently, a gentle smile touching his face. Not being the one for words, considering he was not able to talk, Sandy sent a flurry of images to North, which only he seemed to understand it fully. "Yes, yes, I am well! No, Christmas preparations are on schedule. Actually, the Yetis…" North was interrupted by Bunnymund clearing his throat.

"Sorry to break up the lovely reunion, but we came here for a reason, not for catching up. What's so important?" North chuckled and patted his hand on Bunny's shoulder, who rolled his eyes. "Oh, yes! Thank you, Bunnymund! Well, back to important issue. We have problem." The Guardians looked over at him expectantly. He hesitated and took a deep breath. "I think Pitch has returned." Tooth let out a gasp and a golden exclamation point appeared over the Sandman's head. Even the Easter Bunny looked surprised.

"Pitch Black has returned?" Tooth locked eyes with the Elder Guardian, hoping it not to be true. His face was gone of all merriment and his eyes were troubled. "Yes…I believe so." Bunny stepped forward, confused. "That's impossible, North. We destroyed him three months ago! Pitch is gone." North turned his gaze to Bunnymund and said pointedly, "You said that about the Dark Ages." For once, The Easter Bunny was at a loss for words as He creased his brow and kept silent. Tooth scanned the room with her eyes and suddenly spoke out among the quietness. "North, where's Jack? Shouldn't he be here to?"

The Sandman and Easter Bunny idly looked around for the mischievous eighteen year old, but he was nowhere in sight. "Yeah, where is Snowflake? Did frostbite get into trouble again?" Even though he tried very well to hide it, and he normally did, there was a hint of concern in the Pooka's voice. North crossed his arms and sighed.

"Jack left early this weekend….I do not know where, but I'm sure he's around. Jack is probably fine." But even though he would not admit it to the other Guardians, the uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach had not ceased. Thinking He was simply being a tad bit paranoid and that it was growing worry from Pitch, the Russian ignored it. Never would it have occurred to him that Jack Frost had just been shot out of the night sky by the King of Nightmares himself.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooo

Jack felt the hard ground beneath him and slowly opened his eyes. Snow was piled up around him, pointing out that he had hit the bank after falling. It was painfully bright against his eyes, making them water. He didn't know how long he had been unconscious, but his limbs ached and were horribly stiff. Jack groaned as he tried to lift himself of the ground. He cried out as his shoulder suddenly flared in pain and Jack fell back onto the ground. Jack grounded his teeth together as tears traced down his face.

Jack laid in the snow for a few moments before he decided to try and get back up. His eyes dimly searched for his staff. He located it a few feet away from him, half submerged in dirt and snow. Being careful not to move his left shoulder, Jack crawled toward the object and reached out with his arm. His fingers barley reached the wood. He felt desperation creep into his mind. With a moment's hesitation, Jack lunged forward, allowing his hand to grasp the wood, but not without an agonizing protest from his shoulder.

Very cautiously, Jack slowly got to his feet, leaning heavily on his staff for support. He fought back a wave of nausea and scanned his surroundings. He was in the middle of nowhere. Thick trees surrounded him and none of it looked the least bit familiar. The twinge of discomfort made Jack reach to his left shoulder blade and gently feel his skin for any wound or bruising. Surprisingly, his skin was smooth and cool at the moment, but the light touch burned.

Jack took in a shaky breath and started walking in the direction of a clearing. He only made it three steps before the forest started spinning, and he was holding onto a pine tree, gasping for air, dark spots dancing in his eyes. Jack glanced up at the sky, hoping to see the moon. His eyes widened with fear as he saw that it was blocked out by dark clouds. Something was wrong…very, very wrong.

Setting his jaw, Jack trudged forward in the snow, each step sending waves of pain. He felt the wind rush out of his lungs but he struggled to breathe in oxygen. He was going to make it to the North Pole. He could probably fly short distances if he was persistent about it. He had to get back.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo o

If Jack Frost had been more aware of his senses, he probably would have felt the golden eyes boring into his head, watching him from the shadows. If his ears weren't ringing he probably would have heard the dark laugh of Pitch Black. Everything was falling into place. Jack Frost would probably reach the other Guardians in a day or two, if he could still use the wind to aid him. But it would be agonizing. Pitch smiled at the thought of the winter spirit's slow torture.

The first part of his elaborate plan was taking place. The site of a wounded Jack made the Boogeyman feel cruel joy. But the best part would be going through his mind. THAT was what Pitch was craving to do. The nightmares would be horrid! Oh, and the fear cascading off the young Guardian made Pitch grow more in power, which would mean even more torment for Jack, to Pitch Black's delight.

Smiling to himself, Pitch sauntered back into the darkness and melted into the shadows. The game wasn't over, not by a long shot. He just had to wait until the dark poison that was now probably flowing in Frost's veins forced a gruesome sleep on him. Then the fun would really begin.

Before Pitch Black disappeared completely, he looked up at the clouded sky, amusement on his gray face. "Where are you now, old friend?"

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Hey guys I hoped you like this chapter! I think my writer's block is wearing of, thank goodness. Don't worry, you action seekers, it's going to get sooooooo much more interesting. Ughhh I feel so bad for Jack! I don't know how I could even write his scenes! {Oh, shout out to TeddyBear98: I read you're fanfiction! A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! omg it was incredible} but anyway thank you to everyone who is following this series so far you guys are incredible. New chapter soon I promise!


	5. Chapter 5: Nightmares

Winter Illness

Chapter Five: Nightmares

Jamie fiddled with his thumbs as he sat by his Mom and Sophie, listening to the preacher give his sermon. He longed to go outside. Jamie wanted to play in the snow that would soon melt. He wanted to see Jack even more. Jamie sighed as he thought of how much fun the Guardian was having, wherever he was at the moment. Sometimes Jamie wished he could go with him instead of being in Burgess all the time.

Jamie leaned his head back against the pew (wooden bench) that the Bennett family was sitting on. Why couldn't church services be more fun? Why couldn't they ever do anything new? Jamie's head filled with thoughts of Jack Frost as he tuned out the Pastor's voice. What was Jack doing right now? He thought. Was he having fun without him?

Jack Frost had lost track of time. He was so tired. So horribly tired his eyes were beginning to close while he walked. But he couldn't fall asleep; not yet. He had to make it back to the others. Taking a deep breath, Jack urged the wind to lift him a little off the ground. But it only carried him for a few moments before his back roared in protest and he fell to his knees, gasping in pain.

It was agonizing to walk on foot, each footstep feeling like a lead weight and sent Jack's pulse racing. In fact, the only thing keeping him from falling was his staff and the trees around him. Many times had Jack tried to think of what had gone wrong last night when he was flying, but his brain was beginning to feel fogged and he couldn't think clearly. What had happened? One minute he was perfectly fine, and the next…

Jack suddenly felt the world tilt sideways and he found himself running into a tree again, one hand holding onto the side, while his left held his staff. As he gripped the bark for support, he almost thought he heard laughter coming from the shadows. I'm going crazy, he thought, and was about to let go of the tree when he suddenly stopped. The drowsiness had become stronger, and the urge of sleep pressed down on him like a heavy blanket. Jack realized his eyes were beginning to close.

Panicking, Jack struggled to keep conscious. He was not going to rest until he had reached the North Pole. But before he was aware of his actions, Jack's leg gave out beneath him, his hands loosened the death hold on the tree, and before Jack had even reached the snow covered earth, he had passed out. As the spirit slid down the tree and fell onto the ground, a dark mist seemed to hang around the air; around him.

Then the sand came. Dark, sick, treacherous looking sand that weaved its way through the air and began to compact together to form a thin collection of despair and nightmares. It swirled and traveled toward the pale boy on the ground that was so innocent, so child-like. A threat to Pitch Black. As the black sand fell upon the Guardian, his face twisted. His eyes flickered underneath his pale eye lids as he went deeper into his dream. Jack Frost was having a nightmare.

Jackson Overland was walking with Emma, who was sucking honey off her fingers. They walked hand in hand down the town square, watching the colonial people purchase fruits and other things. They had spent the entire afternoon together. Jack had spent a whole coin to buy a honey roll for her. It had taken him a year to earn it, but he didn't mind buying something for his little sister. It was her birthday after all and he had promised himself he would make it special, so this was a treat just for her. She had even shared half of it with him. It had been positively delicious.

They entered into the forest, leaving the town behind into the wood which was frozen in time. The branches of the evergreens and pines were coated in a thin layer of frost. As they passed it, Emma stopped and gazed at it. Jack turned around at her pause and looked at her curiously. "Emma, you okay?" The eight year old ripped her eyes off the icy designs and smiled up at him. "I'm alright, but look at the frost! It's beautiful!" Jack took a step toward the swirls of frozen water, noticing them for the first time. "Wow…that is beautiful."

Jack looked at it, his brown eyes drawn to the ice, almost entranced. How intriguing it was...so many layers…so many patterns. Jack had almost touched the frozen branch before Emma called out to him. "Jack!" He immediately withdrew his hand and turned sharply to her frightened voice. His eyes widened as he looked around him. Blackness spiraled down the tall trees and a dark mist coated the forest floor. "Emma!?" The girl was nowhere in sight.

Jack's shoulder suddenly burned and he reached up and touched it. Jack gasped as it singed his fingertips and he held his injured hand, his eyes searching for his sister. When he glanced up, his breath caught in his throat. Everywhere Jack looked, things were withered and decayed. The glade around him was no longer beautiful, but haunting. Jack's heart pounded in his chest as he turned around, searching wildly for his missing sibling. Where had she gone?

Pitch Black grinned as he used the memories to fester nightmares. How amusing it was to see Jack Frost twist and turn in his sleep, fear radiating from his face. His memories were so….innocent, so full of love…corrupting them was so tempting that Pitch couldn't resist! He was going to ruin them all. What made Pitch really smile was Jack Frost's protection over the child in his memory.

Even the thought of the little girl, Emma Overland, being in danger caused Jackson's pulse to rise, driving him deeper into fear's grasp. The dream would only last for an hour or so, but the fear would build and collect in his mind. Then as the nightmares progressed, the sicker he would become. This dream was just the first step. The boogeyman smiled as he twisted the dream, making it so horrifying the boy wouldn't even dare close his eyes again.

"Jack!" The voice rang out again and again, full of pain and horror. Jack ran through the woods, following the sound of his little sister. His bare feet were scraped and bloody from tripping over roots and stepping on rocks. Jack threw aside any tree branches in front of him, tears blurring his vision. "Jackson, help!" His heart stopped as he realized it was close. "Emma! Where are you!?"When there was no response, he started running again.

It so dark that Jack could barely see a couple feet in front of him. As he ran by trees, they dried out and died. "Emma!" Panic tightened his throat and his breathing was short. Jack felt claustrophobic. Where was she? The darkness seemed to close around him and tears started running down his face. Jack ran his hands through his brown hair, fear taking over, his voice pleading. "Emma?"

And when he turned around, there she was. Pale, shaking, and frightened. Jack stopped where he was as his voice caught in his throat. He gave her a careful smile. "Hey…." Jack reached out to her gently, relieved for her to be back in his sight. She slowly raised her head and looked into his eyes. That's when he saw the color of the forest floor.

The deep green earth started fading into a light blue. "Emma, would you like to go skating?" Jack wasn't in control of his voice. It sounded flat and lifeless. He needed to take her home; keep her safe, not go ice-skating! With a swirl of black sand, the dark forest floor suddenly froze over and the woods seemed to evaporate to a clearing. Jack recognized it as the Burgess pond.

Emma was in the middle of the frozen ice, alone and deadly still. Jack noticed he was a good ten feet away from her; he was standing on solid ground. His heart beat rapidly and his mind knew what would happen if he didn't get her off the ice. But to Jack's immense surprise, he couldn't move. It was as if a glass wall was separating the ground from the water.

"Emma, don't move! I'll get to you in a second! Stay very still!" Jack could practically see the fear in her eyes. It broke his heart. He quickly looked around for a stick, something, anything to break the glass that was preventing him from saving his sister. Seeing a rock, he lunged for it. Securing it in his hand, Jack started pounding it against the invisible barrier. But no matter how many times he tried, the force would not break. Jack let it tumble out of his hand and he started searching frantically for something else.

Tooth and the other Guardians waited for word from Jack Frost, but none came. North began to look worried. The tooth fairy stared at the open window that the youngest guardian normally came in through. It had been almost two days since their meeting on Friday night. It was Sunday afternoon. "Where is he?" She questioned, voicing it to anyone who had an idea or answer. But they were all clueless to where the winter spirit had gone.

Bunnymund got up to stretch his legs and north kept stroking his beard. Sandy had fallen asleep nearly an hour ago. Everyone was so quiet. It was not normal. North suddenly stood up and started pacing, his eyes widening. "I remember! Yes, yes! I remember now!" Tooth hovered over to him, her eyes filled with hope and concern.

"What do you remember?" North grabbed her by her delicate shoulders. "Where our Jack went!" Toothiana gasped and clasped her hands together, a look of desperation replacing her worried expression. "Where?" Bunnymund hopped over to Sandy and shook the small man awake. "Jack has gone to see Jamie, of course!"

Tooth felt unease settle in her stomach. "But it takes him less than 40 minutes to get here if he flies, not two days." The guardian of Wonder stopped pacing and turned toward her. "What are you thinking, Toothie?" The fairy wrung her small hands and felt anxiety. "I think….something's happened to him." When the other guardians were silent, she quickly added, "But he could have just been delayed. I mean, it's Jack…" Bunny walked over and looked directly in the other Guardian's eyes.

"Yea, it's Jack. Jack Frost. He may get distracted but he's never this late." He turned to North. "This isn't normal, mate. I got a feeling." North pursed his lips and crossed his arms, lost in thought. "We wait one more day. If Jack doesn't show, we go."

The cracking of ice made Jack go rigid and he spun sharply in the direction of the sound. Emma had taken a step forward and the frozen surface had splintered underneath her. "Emma, I said not to move!" But the eight year old didn't hear him as she took another step. Panic rose in Jack's voice. "Emma, stop!" Jack started pounding on the invisible glass, pleading with the little girl. "Please, Emma!"

The ice began to break all around her, but she seemed oblivious to her older brother's warnings. Jack hit the glass till his hands started to bleed. "Poor Jackson….." A chilling voice echoed around him and it laughed, letting darkness creep even further down into the clearing. "It's your fault." Jack couldn't locate or identify the voice, but it sounded familiar…He stared into the shadows. "W-What? I don't underst-" A high pitched scream caught cut the conversation short and Jack turned back around just in time to see Emma Overland fall through the Burgess pond.

Jack's blood went cold. "NO!" The wall seemed to disintegrate as he ran forward, ignoring the burning in his feet from the cold ice. He fell to his knees at the circle of broken ice and water, peering down in desperation. The hole had already begun to freeze over. "EMMA!" No answer came. Jack put his head in his hands and sat there, the realization sinking in that his sister had just died, and he had just STOOD THERE AND LET IT HAPPEN.

The world around Jack instantly vaporized and he was standing by the local church, tears running down his face as he wore a suit three sizes two big, Emma's empty casket in front of him. His mother stared at him with hatred and repulsion; his friends and family glared at him with hate. The preacher gave a speech for the funeral; each word spoken made Jack feel added amounts of self-loathing. He should have been the one to die, not his little sister.

Jack watched as a hole was dug to put the grave in. He couldn't bare it. To watch them lower the casket in the ground… he just couldn't do it. He turned around, and saw everyone was gathered around him, blocking his way out. Their faces were blank, eyes glazed. Jack stumbled back as they started to walk toward him, chanting the same sentence over and over.

"It should have been YOU."

The crowd of people advanced, pushing him back. Jack felt his shoulder begin to burn and his head starting to hurt as the voices around him got louder. Jack was backing up in the direction of the dug grave. People started throwing stones at him, including his own family.

"It's your fault."

It got so loud; Jack put his hands over his ears and shut his eyes. "It's NOT my fault! I DID try! I-I tried!" But the mob did not listen, continuing as the eighteen year old shrank away from them. Jack kept stepping backwards until suddenly the ground crumbled underneath him and he fell on his back, into the grave. He looked up at the people above him who glared back with anger. Jack gasped as he saw that one of them was Emma.

She was soaking wet as water dripped off her dress and hair. Her skin was pale and her eyes stared down at him, pitiless. "You let me drown, Jack. I thought you would always look out for me…but you didn't." Jack's heart hammered in his chest. "No…no! I didn't mean to Em, I swear!" He whispered up to her, his voice full of guilt. "I tried to save you! Please, believe me!" Emma did not respond but instead threw something down into the hole. Jack recognized it as dirt. "Goodbye, Jackson."

The girl turned her back to him and started to walk away. "No…Emma! Emma, wait!" Jack started to stand up but something hit him in his shoulders and his back, pushing the boy back down. Jack realized in horror that the Colonial people were filling up the grave with shoveled earth, and it was filling up fast. Jack tried to climb up the wall, but the dirt fell away if he touched it, engulfing him even more.

Pitch Black watched with amusement as Jack Frost choked and gasped in his sleep. His mind truly was interesting. The Nightmare King's black sand floated around the young Guardian and he smiled wickedly. Pitch wondered if the Guardians were worried about their little winter spirit yet. If they weren't, they would be very soon.

Actually, the North Pole was fairly close which wasn't wise for the boogeyman. If he was spotted, especially in the state he was in at the moment, everything would go to ruin. He had to stay in the shadows and make sure the plan progressed correctly. The boy needed to make it back for the next step to take place. The fear would drive him to the others quickly enough.

The dirt got into his eyes. It made him choke. Jack coughed and raised his hand to protect his face. The hole was filled up to his shoulders, covering his chest, making it very difficult to breathe. His voice was hoarse from yelling at them. They kept shoveling dirt without pause.

It was getting closer to covering him fully. It was up to his chin. "Wait," he choked. Now it was up to his lips. "Please." Talking was over. The dirt was past his mouth and up to his nose. Jack's eyes went wide as the ground blocked out his airways, and the boy was forced to hold his breath.

Before it covered his eyes, Jack looked up at the sky. The man in the moon was there, watching…letting him die. The man in the moon didn't think of him as a guardian anymore. The fact alone filled Jack with fear. That was the last thing he saw before Jackson Overland was buried alive.

Jack woke up gasping for air; his chest heaving. He was lying on his back, staring up at the clouded sky. Tears formed his eyes and he squeezed them shut, running his right hand over his face. His heart was racing and his head was pounding. It took him a few moments to realize what had happened. All he had done was fall asleep.

Fighting off chills, jack slowly sat up, his eyes wide. What was happening to him?


	6. Chapter 6 : Frostbite

Winter's Illness

Chapter six: Frostbite

Each breath caused Jack's lips to crack; caused more pain. His eyes couldn't focus right, his shoulder and back burned like a hot coal. He was so tired that dark circles stood out from underneath his eyes. How long had he been walking? It felt like an eternity of torture, which for Jack Frost was a very long time.

Jack felt like he was on an adrenaline rush, his heart was beating at a tremendous rate that made him wince as it gave him twinges of discomfort. The sun was beginning to rise in the East, but Jack didn't notice. There was a darkness that kept following him, blocking out any light; any hope. The trees were dense which seemed mind boggling to Jackson because he had been trudging through them for hours and yet there had been no clearing. Jack longed to rest but he wouldn't allow himself that pleasure….not after the nightmare.

To some, it would be one that you would later on forget. But the dream stayed with him, constantly playing if he closed his eyes. His sister's screams still echoed in his ears even if they were ringing. It stayed in the back of his head, never fading, crystal clear. The images were so real; Jack had spent an hour trying to convince himself that it had been him who fell through the pond and not his little sister.

His staff that normally glowed with white and blue seemed dead in his hands. It worked completely fine, to Jack's relief, but it lacked the winter spirit's frost, not to mention his now plain blue hoodie. That troubled Jack to no end. That wasn't the only thing that was out of the ordinary. Jack Frost had lost his excitement; his energy. It just seemed like a weight rested on his shoulders, making him tired and drained.

Jack couldn't use the wind to fly anymore. It caused him too much pain to lift a few inches of the ground. All that was left to him was walking, which wasn't really an enjoyable thing. Walking pains never dulled; never faded when he took steps toward his destination. He was losing strength and Jack knew it.

"Why does EVERYTHING happen to me?" He hissed through clenched teeth. Even though the Guardians were his new "Family", Jack disliked them constantly looking after him. Since he was new to being a Guardian, it was like he was a valuable that had to be protected. He loved their concern for his well-being, but he didn't want them to worry so much. Jack wanted to have responsibility and trust that he could handle things himself.

Jack suddenly saw something that caught his attention. There was a palace-like building in the distance, resting on the side of a mountain, coated with thin snow. Jack felt his breath catch in his throat. It had to be it! It could only be Santoff Clausen! The structure was only a few miles away…

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oo

North had been dozing in an armchair when he felt a light shake on his arm. Opening his eyes in surprise, he saw that the Sandman was trying to wake him up without a voice. "Oh…Sandy." North let out a yawn that made the Guardian of dreams smile. The Russian stood up with a groan and looked at Sandy contently. North began to search for a cookie tray, but Sandy blocked his view, floating in his face to get the man's attention. "Vat is it?" A golden clock formed above his golden hair. "Time? Time for vat?"

Flashing images of a sleigh and golden snowflakes flittered above Sandy's head; his point clear. It was time to go find Jack Frost. North nodded quickly, becoming serious. "Jack has not returned?" Sandy shook his head, frowning. Santa Claus rubbed his brow, lost in thought.

"We must go…..yes, we must go now." Clapping his hands North alerted the others. "To the sleigh!" Tooth, who had been gazing out the window in hopes of seeing a certain young winter spirit, flew over to him. "But we can't go yet." She watched as North turned to her, incredulously. "Why not?"

Toothiana hesitated, rubbing her arm and she said to him, "Bunnymund left earlier to check on The Warren. He said he'd be back soon." North groaned and messaged his temple. Why couldn't the Easter Bunny stay in his workshop when He needed him to? The Russian turned to Sandy and sighed. They would have to wait for the Pooka to return THEN go find a mischievous eighteen year old who's life could be in danger.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooo

Aster E. Bunnymund took one last look at the Warren's meadows and clear sky. He had painted over 92 eggs in the last hour just to stay away from the North Pole's freezing weather. He had told North over a thousand times that he was dealing with perishables. The Russian had all year to prepare! It wouldn't kill North to cut him a little slack from sitting around waiting for Snowflake to show up.

The Pooka thumped his foot on the ground and watched it cave into a perfect circle. Without a word, He jumped into the hole and bounded down his underground tunnels, headed to Santoff Clausen. Bunny scowled at the thought of the cold wind and snow. He hated it when he got cold feet.

As the Bunny picked up speed, the walls of the tunnels seemed to blur together as he accelerated. Bunnymund would miss the warm sunshine and flowers of the Warren. He hated being out of his area. And the reason why North wanted to pull him out of his home in the middle of July was because Jack Frost had gone and probably gotten into trouble. But even though the Pooka wouldn't admit it, he was very concerned for the missing Guardian.

The Easter Bunny's ears guided him down the long tunnels, picking up every sound from above, around, and below him. He had crossed into the frozen Artic borders. Letting out a sigh, Bunnymund looked up at the roof of the narrow tunnel, making the ground crumple to a hole big enough for him to jump out of.

Bunny skidded to a stop and crouched low, preparing to jump to the surface. With a single leap, his feet touched the newly fallen snow. To his horror, it was numbing. Scanning his surroundings, Bunny saw that he was by the Northern forest, and Santoff Clausen was only three miles away. Wrapping his furry arms around his shoulders, Bunnymund began to hop against the cold wind, his face set into a scowl.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooo

Back burning, Jack stumbled past any tree that got in his way. He had been trying to ignore the pain, focusing on making it back to his fellow Guardians. But His throat was parched and his head was pounding. Jack Frost had been fighting against his urge to rest in order to make it to Santoff Clausen, and he sure as heck wasn't going to stop now. Using both hands on Jack's staff to support him, he quickened his pace, unsuccessfully blocking out the growing pain in his shoulder and feet.

Then Jack saw something he'd never thought he would be glad to lay his eyes on. The Easter Bunny was a couple feet yards away in an open clearing, heading toward North's home. Jackson had never been so happy to see the Pooka in his life! Letting a small smile of relief briefly replace his wince, Jack tried to reach the Guardian of Hope as quickly as possible. But even that proved to be a difficulty.

His vision started to swim as the boy pushed his limits in order to reach what could possibly be his rescuer. Jack's staff kept him from tripping and helped him move forward. His breathing hitched as Jack closed in on the Easter Bunny, silent in the fresh snow. He was only a few feet away, his heart pounded as dark spotted covered his eyes. If the situation was different, Jack would have laughed at the idea of surprising Bunnymund, but he couldn't exactly laugh right now. As He got closer, Jack weakly reached out his arm and touched the Pooka's shoulder, energy drained from his thin figure.

"Bunny…" Bunnymund jumped at his touch and spun around. Jack's legs gave away, his eyes rolled back into his head, and He fell forward, passing out. The Easter Bunny quickly caught Jack in his arms, barley saving him from hitting the ground. His eyes were wide as he said in surprise,

"Frostbite?!"

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

I hope this chapter wasn't too bad ha-ha. I know the last one was long and I hope you guys liked it. I feel so evil…..ugh so evil….i had trouble writing his chapter :p I just couldn't get into it. Sorry! Hope its ok! New updates soon. All of my followers so far are amazing. Thank you guys so much for your comments! Its like getting a present every time I see a new one 3 ha-ha. I promise, new chapter soon.


	7. Chapter 7: Unconscious

Winter's Illness

Chapter Seven: Unconscious

Bunnymund awkwardly held the unconscious teenager in his arms, confused but protective. The Australian wildly looked around for help, but quickly understood there would be none, since the two were miles away from the other Guardians. Bunny gingerly lifted Jack higher from the ground and into his arms more securely. His brow creased as he looked at the young mate, noticing his features.

Dark circles underlined his eyes and Jack's jaw and face features stuck out more prominently. It was Monday afternoon, and Jack had been missing since Saturday evening. Bunny noticed the Winter Spirit's pale skin was cooler than it usually was and it gave him chills. Jack's breathing was ragged, giving Bunnymund an uneasy feeling. What had the troublemaker gotten himself into?

Setting his jaw, the Pooka turned toward the direction of North's home and tightened his grip on Jack, determined on getting to his destination as quickly as possible. Bunny didn't have a clue what went on over the weekend. But if it was the reason why Frostbite was out cold right now, he sure was going to find out. Using his fur to protect the weak Guardian from the wind, the Aussie hopped to Santoff Clausen, praying that whatever was wrong with Jack wasn't as bad as he assumed.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooo

Santa's workshop had been peaceful and quiet before the entrance doors were thrown open and a serious bunny ran inside, shoving any yeti or elf out of the way with his shoulders. Sandy floated by him, but Bunny ignored his flurry of golden shapes, his eyes searching for someone else. Bunny saw the Elder Guardian standing by the window and shouted out to him. "North! Eh, Mate, we got a problem!" The Russian ran up to him, confusion and concern in his eyes.

"Bunny, what is the matter?" Bunnymund held out Jack at arm's length gently for him to see, being careful not to let him fall from his hands. The Russians eyes widened as they settled on the boy. "Is that…?" Bunny nodded solemnly. "Yeah. It's him."

Toothiana was suddenly hovering by them, coming to investigate from the other side of the workshop. "Is everything okay? Bunny! I thought I heard you…" Tooth stopped as her violet eyes focused on the teenager in his arms, her mind grasping the situation.

She put her hands over her mouth. "Oh no!" Baby Tooth, who had been flying close to the older Fairy squeaked a cry of concern and flew over to Jack to see what was wrong. Flitting around his face, she became very worried when Jack didn't respond to her when her small fathers brushed against his cheek. Baby Tooth settled on her momma's shoulder, nervous and anxious to know what the problem was, along with everyone else.

"Bunny, put him here..." North gestured over to a small couch by the fire. The Aussie quickly walked over to the resting place and carefully laid Jack Frost down, who still held his staff in his limp hand. The other Guardians hastily followed. North knelt down by the teenager and gently pushed Jack's white hair out of his eyes with concern. He turned to Bunnymund.

"Where did you find him?"

"By the forest. The ankle-bitter came outta nowhere. He touched my shoulder and I turned around, only to have him pass out on me. It looked like he had been through heck and back. I got here as fast as I could."

North frowned to himself, troubled, and was silent. Turning back to the Winter Spirit, he looked Jack over, trying to detect anything out of the ordinary. Something unsettled him. North gestured to his hoodie. "…Where is his frost?" The others saw that no icy designs were visible on the material that Jack constantly wore. Bunny creased his brow. "Looks like it melted."

Sandy floated forward and pointed out that Jack's staff had the same identical problem. Tooth was beginning to cry. "W-What's wrong with him? That's not normal is it? Is Jack going to be okay?" Not taking his eyes of the young Guardian, North addressed her gravely. "I don't know…"

The Russian stood up slowly and stroked his beard, lost in thought. "Something is not right…" Bunny sighed and crossed his arms. "Well what are we going to do mate?" North was about to respond to the Pooka's question when a sound caught their attention. Turning back around, the Guardians saw that it was Jack who had made the small noise.

The Guardians hastily stepped forward, crowding around the eighteen year old. They strained their ears to listen to Jack's mumbling. Tooth let out a hushed whisper, barley containing her curiosity. "He's talking in his sleep! What's he saying?" Jack shifted his position on the couch, wincing at each movement. The only word that was understandable was one that he kept on repeating with increasing urgency. "Emma…"

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Jack was sitting under an apple tree by the local schoolhouse, waiting for his sister to finish up her lessons for the day. He amused himself with a piece of grass, rubbing between his index finger and his thumb, bored. The sound of children's voices made him quickly get to his feet and leaned against the tree, looking for his sibling. Jack smiled as he saw her small form scurry toward him, head down. His smile faded as she ran into him, wrapping her small arms around his waist, crying into his cotton shirt.

Jack was speechless as he tried to understand what was going on. "Emma, what's wrong?" He watched as she spoke to him through sobs, her voice muffled. "They made fun of me again!" Confused, Jack looked down at her shaking figure. "Who made fun of you? When she didn't answer him back, he knelt down to her height and gently lifted her chin with his hand, looking at her directly, his eyes full of worry and concern. "Who made fun of you, Emma?"

The little girl's big, brown eyes met his and she sniffled, tears tracing down her cheeks. "The Johnson brothers." Jack set his jaw. William and Alexander Johnson were two wealthy teenage boys who had moved with the colony to Burgess, and Jack despised them. The two were known as the town bullies, always causing trouble and picking on everyone.

Jack wiped away her tears with his thumb. "What did they say to you?" Emma looked down at the ground, silent and shame faced. "Will and Alex told me that our family was filth and that the reason why dad left us was because he chose alcohol over us… because he was a coward...and they said that….they said-" She didn't finish as fresh tears fell down her small face and her sobs cut off her voice.

"Hey, it's okay….don't cry Emma, it's okay….." Jack pulled her into a hug and let her cry into his shoulder. "William, look who it is!" A voice rang over the clearing, and Jack's head snapped up. He saw two figures advancing toward him. They had curly black hair and matching sets of green eyes. Jack recognized them as the Johnson Brothers. "Isn't that the Overlands?" Will played along with the sarcasm. "Why, yes, Alex, I think it is."

"Emma, get behind me." Jackson immediately stood to his full height and pushed Emma behind him, shielding her. She held on to his wrist, hiding behind his tall form. William and Alexander strode up to them, smug grins on their faces. Jack knew what they did to their victims of ridicule. The Bennett boy, Thomas, had come back with a black eye last week. The pair was ruthless and cruel when they wanted to be. There was no way He wasn't going to let them get within ten feet of his sister.

"What do you two want?" He was careful and calm, but his voice held hidden venom. William was the first one to step forward, running his thumbs up and down his suspenders. "We just want to finish our conversation that we had with Emma, Jack." Alex joined his brother's side, eyeing the little girl with keen interest. Jack stepped forward, protective and unsmiling. "Over my dead body." He hissed.

"Oh, Alex! Look! Jackson's acting brave for his little sis'! How about we include him on our lovely chat as well?" William turned to his brother with wide eyes, a huge smile on his face as he faked excitement. Alex looked at the teenage brown haired boy in front of him, a wicked grin on his lips. "Hmm…I think that's a wonderful idea."

Jack held his ground as the boys chuckled and William calmly began to speak. "How did it feel, Jack? Watching your Father drink every night? How did it feel to have to entertain your siblings because your mother couldn't afford food and they had to go to bed with empty stomachs? Tell me, how did it feel to let your family be split apart because your dad chose his whiskey over his kids?"

Emma had started crying again, covering her ears with her small hands. Jack gritted his teeth as Alex smiled and whispered in amusement, "…How did it make you feel?" When the boy was silent, the Johnsons directed their attention to the little girl behind Jack, clutching onto the back of his shirt. "What about you, Emma? How's the family doing?" Alex chuckled. "Holding on by a thread, I assume."

Jackson balled his fist together by his sides, shaking in rage as his sister whimpered, his knuckles turning white. He whispered to her over his shoulder, trying to keep his voice even. "Don't talk to him, Em. Alex is just rambling. He knows that most of us in the colony are not as rich as some and more than half of the citizens in Burgess are poor. Just ignore him, okay?" Emma's grip on his wrist tightened and Jack shot Will and Alex a death glare.

Alex laughed and put his hand behind his ear, leaning forward with a smile. "What's that, Jack? I didn't hear what you said." William chuckled and put his hands on his hips, waiting for the boy's answer. Jack was about to retort something in response when Emma pulled on his wrist, tearing his eyes away from the Johnsons. "Jack," she pleaded, "Let's just go home. Please."

"Yeah, Jackie…" Will echoed. "Why don't you just go home? Don't you have some chores to take care of?" Remaining silent, Jack took Emma's hand and led her away from the wealthy brothers, a snarl on his face, giving the two a dangerous glance. "Come on, Em. Let's go."

Barely containing his temper, Jack quickly walked away from the schoolhouse, his teeth clenched. Emma stayed close behind, wiping away her tears with her free hand. Jack's blood was boiling. A few yards away from him, the Johnsons called out to them, barely containing their smugness. "See you tomorrow, Em! Great talking with you two Overlands!" Jack stopped in his tracks as the two busted out laughing.

The eighteen year old boy went ridged, his patience gone. Without a word, Jack let go of his little sister's hand and turned toward the now receding pair of boys. He strode forward, ignoring Emma's protests. Within a few seconds, he had caught up with them. With a yell of anger, Jack thrust out his hand to one of the boys closest to him.

Gripping an unsuspecting Alex's shoulder, He spun the boy around, drew back his arm, and punched him right in the face. Alex stumbled back, speechless and surprised, and fell on his back. Jack's hand stung, but he was too angry to care. "Hey!" William ran forward and pushed him aside, kneeling beside his brother who was nursing a bloody nose.

Alex looked up at him wide-eyed, shocked. "Don't you EVER talk to me or my family again. And you better not go within ten feet of my sister or I swear you'll regret it. Do you understand me?" Jack rarely got as livid as he was then, nor was he one used to making threats, but he meant every word that came out of his mouth. The Johnsons glared up at him but it was clear that they understood.

All of their former pride gone, the wealthy Johnson boys quickly got to their feet and walked away from him, occasionally casting a hateful look in his direction. Jack didn't even smile at his revenge. Everything suddenly darkened, and the familiar withering of the area began. Jack whispered to himself in horror, knowing the nightmare was beginning. "Oh no…"

Emma was suddenly by his side, her eyes wide with concern. "Jack, you're bleeding!" His eyes were focused on the ground, where blood suddenly dripped on the burnt blades of grass. "What…?"Confused, Jackson reached up to his face and touched it. Pulling his hand away, he was surprised to find it smeared with red.

He hadn't even remembered getting hit…. Emma reached up to inspect his face, but he backed away from her, his vision blurring as blood dripped into his eyes. It burned like a coal. Jack fell to his knees, using his arm too support him while his other hand cupped over his eye-lids, pressing against them, trying to block out the pain.

Then the burning sensation vanished, and Jack opened his eyes. He was surrounded by…nothing. An empty darkness enveloped him, and that was all that there was. Looking down at himself, Jack noted he was wearing his familiar blue hoodie and colonial pants, but his staff was nowhere in sight. "Hello?" He called out to the shadows, not expecting an answer.

But surprisingly, there was one. Haunting laughter echoed around him, sending chills down his spine. Jack looked around for the voices source, but the lighting of the dark made the task impossible. Jack's shoulder started to complain, but he ignored it.

Feeling uneasy, Jack spun around to meet the gaze of two yellow eyes staring down at him. "Hello, Jackson. Having a bad dream, are we?" The eyes were followed by an n evil smile. "Pitch" he warned, "Get out of my head." The Nightmare king laughed as if the idea was insane. "What? And miss you're pathetic scrambling in your own fear? I think not."

His shoulder started to burn and Jack winced, reaching up to touch it but stopped himself, not wanting to make it singe more. Pitch stepped out of the shadows and watched him with interest. "Why, what happened to your back? It seems to be causing you some discomfort." Jack longed for his staff, but his hands were bare and his head was pounding from growing pain in his back and shoulder.

Jack's heart was racing, but he wasn't going to let Pitch scare him into another nightmare. Making his voice strong, he stood to his full height, saying, "I'm not afraid of you, Pitch." The boogeyman shrugged. "As I've said before, maybe not, but I will always know you're greatest fear. And don't think just because two small children believe in the Guardian of Fun with all their little hearts means that they'll believe in you forever, Jack…. You know that one day they will forget you."

Jack felt his heart twinge with pain and his sarcastic comment that he was about to retort died in his throat. Because deep down inside, He knew it was probably going to happen. Jamie and Sophie Bennett wouldn't believe in him forever and eventually he would be alone again. That was what frightened him the most. Pitch walked toward the winter spirit, his hands held together. Jack took a step back as the room darkened when the Nightmare King spoke.

"….They will eventually forget all about the snow days and the frost and the fun. Jamie and Sophie will grow up into young adults and stop believing in you, the guardians, everything. When they go outside to catch the bus, they won't see a pale boy with white hair and a blue hoodie. They aren't going to make snowmen or snowball fights with you anymore. When they grow up…that's it. Everything will end, Jack."

His words were like knives, lodging themselves in Jack's body. He glared at the figure walking calmly around him, eying him with amusement. "You don't believe me? Or have you forgotten what it's like to be unable to reach out to anyone?" The boogey man sauntered up from behind and lightly tapped Jack on the shoulder, smiling gently as he did. "Let me remind you."

Pitch's touch was like acid, sending a scorching feeling down Jack's back. With a cry of pain, the Guardian fell to his knees, his fist clenched on the ground and his head resting on them. Tears formed in his eyes and he ground his teeth together. Before he could get back up, black sand swirled up around him, engulfing the 18 year old, choking him.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooo

When Jack started thrashing and gasping in his sleep, the Guardians quickly pinned him to the couch. Each time he moved, Jack cried out as though he was being burnt by a hot wire. Bunny grasped the winter spirit under the arms and locked his paws around his chest, trying to hold him still, but to no avail. Tooth was trying her best not to cry as she held his hand tightly, begging for him to wake up, but it fell on deaf ears. Sandy had even tried to calm him with the golden dream sand, but he couldn't seem to break whatever was going on inside Jack's head, which was very puzzling to the Guardian of dreams.

To everyone's surprise, large hands pushed them aside from the teenager and North stepped forward, determination in his eyes. He knelt by Jack and grabbed Jack by the shoulders, holding him still, his voice firm and thunderous. "Jack!" The boy started breathing harder than he had before and his eyes flickered underneath his eyelids. The teen's brow creased as North interrupted whatever was going on inside his mind. "Jack, get up!" Jack didn't wake.

Letting out a sigh of frustration and determination, North shook the spirit harder, and bellowed in his ear, "WAKE UP JACKSON!" Jack Frost's eyes shot open, swirling with fear and he immediately sat up into a sitting position, making North jump back. Jack let out a gasp, sucking in air as though he had been drowning, his breath gone. The Guardians watched him with concern, but he didn't seem to have his voice, unable to speak from the raw panic that he had experienced in his mind.

"Jack!" Tooth shot forward, wrapping him in her arms as best as she could. "You're okay!" Jack bit his tongue and tried to keep from shouting as she squeezed his back in the embrace. "Oh, I was-I mean we were so worried…" She pulled back and looked into his face, frowning. "Jack, are you okay? You look a little sick."

Jack was more than sick. He felt so awful it was against nature. He was bone-tired and stiff. His back was on fire and the last thing he wanted to do was sit around and talk about what happened to him, half because he didn't exactly know. To Jack's despair and annoyance, the Guardians crowded around him, asking him multiple questions. Jack took deep breaths, trying to control his churning stomach which felt like a dead weight.

"I'm fine…." His reply came out as a faint whisper, his body shaking. Realizing they hadn't heard him, Jack said in a somewhat steadier voice, "I'm fine guys." Jack tried to crack a smile, but his dark circles and battered face didn't really fit the act as well as he thought it would. Bunny looked him over with uncertainty as the boy lied. "…What happened to you, Frost?"

The Guardian of Fun gazed down at the wooden floors of Santa's Workshop, silent. Toothiana, thankfully, came to his rescue. "Jack's tired, guys. Let him sleep for tonight. He can talk about it when he's ready…" Jack gave her a relieved look and she gently put her hand on his shoulder as a sign of support. Jack would have been comforted if the touch had not burned.

Seeing his staff lay abandoned on the ground, Jack bent down and slowly trapped it in his fingers. A rush of disappointment filled him as the frosty designs did not resurface at his touch. Sighing, Jack walked over toward the main exit, aiming to go down to his room, when North blocked his way, his arms crossed.

"Jack….are you sure you're alright?" Jack saw the concern on his face, and he knew that he shouldn't lie to the Russian who had practically accepted him as his son. But he hated the idea of him being the baby. Always getting in trouble, always screwing things up, always making people worry. He was certain this was not a big deal and there was no reason for anyone to fret over him.

"Yeah, North," Jack mustered up the most cheerful expression he could in his condition and almost looked like his normal, rebellious, childish self. "I'm fine. Trust me." North slightly smiled to Jack's immense relief as he bought the winter spirit's act. "Alright. You can go to bed. But if you need anything…please, come and get one of us."

Jack rolled his eyes and gave him a reckless grin, trying to finish the charade. "Okay, North, I got it, I got it." Quickening his pace as he walked past the Guardians, Jack rounded the corner and hurried down the many hallways that Santoff Clausen had built inside it, not even bothering to slick the floor for an elf to trip on. The usual smell of pine and peppermint that soothed Jack made him feel queasy. The "Acting Card" had nearly killed him. It's not easy acting like you're okay when you're dying inside.

He let out a sigh of relief as his fingers finally brushed his room's doorknob. Not wasting another minute, Jack quickly opened the door, letting himself inside and shut it behind him. He was finally alone. Running over to the side of his room, Jack thrust open the window, welcoming the chilling breeze from the Artic. He was fine, and he was going to stay fine. It was probably just a virus that would pass on in the morning.

As the room chilled, Jack looked at the walls and floor. He had tapped his staff over every surface, sending almost floral frost in every direction. It gave the room some extra meaning to him. Smiling at the thought, Jack propped his staff by his bed post and pulled back his bed sheets. Positioning himself under them, sleep began to take him. Jack idly felt unease for the nightmares that could surely follow, but his mind was muddled and he brushed it away.

Everything would be fine come tomorrow morning. Jack would feel like himself again and he could go back to burgess and so many other places, sending snow in every direction. "I'll be fine…" He muttered, drowsiness taking over. Jack didn't know how wrong he was.


	8. Chapter 8: Lying

Winter's Illness

Chapter Eight: Lying

Jack ran down the twisted black corridors, refusing to accept the growing fact that he was lost. He was running from something and didn't know how he ended up in the dark, stony area, but he was there and apparently couldn't get out. All light was shut out, surrounding the teenager in shadow and darkness. His feet were light and Jack was silent as he ran down broken cobble steps, watching out for fallen debris. Jack's eyes search wildly for a beacon of light in the darkness engulfing him.

He could feel the smooth wood of his staff in his hands, the only thing keeping him from panicking. The air was musty and thick, making Jack long for the fresh, crisp breeze of winter. His heart hammered in his chest as the tight, narrow spaces became more confined. Black veins crept on the walls and crumpled rock. The sight stirred up an uneasy feeling in the pit of the spirit's stomach.

Jack could hear every rock tumbling from the caving structure, echoing of the old stone walls. The sound was so powerful it hurt his ears. His breathing became rapid as he started experiencing claustrophobia. Jack's hands halted him in his tracks as he hit something hard that was concealed by the darkness. Running his hand over the solid object blocking him from moving forward, Jack recognized it as a wall; a dead end.

Sighing in frustration, he spun around, running back the way he came. But Jack slowed as a voice traveled down the dark corridor and he turned his head to listen. Curious, Jack forgot the danger and hurried towards the sound, not wanting to lose it. Taking different turns, he edged closer to the source and walked out into a dark room with a figure's back to him. As his eyes adjusted to the dark light, he was surprised when he recognized the speaker of the voice. "Tooth?"

The fairy slowly turned to face him, and Jack took a step back at her frightening appearance. Her bright headdress and feathers were replaced by a rotting gray and the color of her face was gone. A dangerous smile touched her cracked lips and Jack wanted to run back the way he had come, but his feet were like lead. Her large violet eyes were masked by a bright, haunting yellow. Her skin was pale and Jack thought he saw blood smeared on her dainty hands. The image gave him goose bumps.

"Jack…" Her voice was tired, almost lifeless. It wasn't like the normal Toothiana he knew. She was about to say something else when she crumpled to the ground, striking fear in the boy. "Tooth!" Jack ran forward, oblivious to caution, and knelt beside her. "Tooth, are you okay?" He reached out a hand to touch her shoulder.

Her small fingers shot out from her curled body and entrapped his wrist in a stone hard grip. Jack realized to late that it was a trap. A high pitched laugh came from her as she shot up above him, flying behind the teen with inhumane speed. With one quick movement, she turned his wrist back sharply, making it produce a sickening crack, causing him to bend backwards toward her. Jack's eyes went wide as a scream tore from his throat and his wrist burned like fire. She let go as he writhed on the ground, holding his wrist to his chest.

Jack gasped at the shock. He had never broken a bone before, so the sensation was surprisingly sharp in pain. "Why would you…" Jack couldn't finish his sentence as a fresh wave of severe, raw, chilling agony hit him, making his words falter. He laid on the ground, his arm protecting the injury from any more harm.

The thin woman hovering above him displayed no sign of pity or mercy; no sign of remorse or regret. Tooth's lips thinned and her eyes became dangerous as she glared down at the winter spirit. "And you call yourself a Guardian." She picked up the wooden stick that lay on the ground and briefly held it in her hand before letting it fly from her grip and into a corner, sending an echo bouncing off the stony walls of the room. Her voice was sharp and venomous. "What a failure you are."

Jack felt his jaw lock and he glanced up at her from his position on the ground. "You don't know me." He whispered, barely audible. But Tooth heard and she laughed viciously. "Yes I do. More than you know." Toothiana knelt by Jack and brushed back his white hair from his face and leaned in towards him, whispering into his ear. "I've seen your memories, Jack. I know you better than yourself. I gave them to you. And I can easily take them away just as easily."

Jack's breathing stopped. Tooth smiled as the Guardian's eyes flickered, uncertain. "You think I'm lying?" He observed her with caution as she rose up from the ground and pull out something from thin air. It was his tooth box. She looked at it with an amused expression. "All I have to do is touch the center surface and you'll forget." Jack watched in horror as she pondered, and lifted her finger to the box, inches away from its beautiful front.

"Wait!" She retracted her hand at his desperate voice, just as it was about to brush the center. "Wait…" She inclined to him with a gleam in her eye, her features dark and cruel. "That's what I thought." She tossed the tooth box aside and it sent clear notes into the silence as it hit the floor and rolled into the shadows. Tooth placed her hand under Jack's chin and jerked his head sharply up to hers, so that they were face to face.

"In your past life you were a nothing. You are a nothing. And you are no Guardian." She spat the words with no sympathy, only hatred and disgust. "You're pathetic and weak, Jack. You think you're a hero for saving your sister from falling into a pond? Think again. You may think you have a purpose since the Man in the Moon chose you, but you are useless and a burden to those around you." Jack tried to disguise how much agony she was causing him, but it could not be hidden.

Toothiana raised her eyebrows as she said, "To be worth something is to be seen. And your invisible, Jackson. " Jack tried to stop the water forming in his eyes, refusing to show weakness to her, but it was obvious that her words had catastrophic impact on the young teenager. She dropped her hand from his jaw and smiled devilishly before melting into the shadows, her purpose apparently fulfilled.

Jack closed his eyes, and his head hung. Only when he was positive he was alone, did he start crying. He drew his legs up to his chest and hugged his knees. Jack rested his head in the crook of his arm and felt his hand grip his shoulder as a kind of comfort, letting the tears come. " Tooth " had brought back his painful memories of rejection and seclusion, something that refused to be buried.

Jack's hand burned as it was moved, but he didn't care. The Guardian's shoulders trembled and his chest caved as silent tears ran down his face. No one would ever know how much it hurt; how much he doubted himself. No one understood what it was like to be truly alone.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooo

One of the Yetis, Phil, was awoken up early by a sound in the east hall. It was very quiet but it was pain-filled. It was the sound of muffled, anguished crying. Who would be crying so late in the night? Curious, the furry mammal got to its feet and shuffled down the hallway, being careful not to step on any passing elves.

As Phil walked down the endless hallways, the sound grew louder, indicating that he was close. He must have been the only one to hear the soft noise, observing the workshop to be silent and still, except for the scurrying of elves once in a while. Phil stopped, realizing the sound had gotten a tad bit weaker. Turning back around, he retraced his steps to where the sound was the loudest: a door to a room.

Not wanting to intrude on someone's privacy, Phil turned to leave. But he stood still, listening hard to the voice coming just behind the wood. He knew the voice well. Too well. It belonged to Jack Frost.

Being as quiet as possible, the Yeti put his massive hand on the doorknob and turned it, cracking the wooden door open just enough to peek inside. Jack Frost was laying on his mattress, entangled in his bed sheets, sobbing in his sleep. His fingers were gripping the covers and his skin gleamed with sweat. Eyebrows rose in surprise and concern, Phil shuffled inside and hurried over to the mischievous spirit.

Phil paused hesitantly, unsure what to do. Being very gentle, Phil placed a huge hand on his thin shoulders and shook him slightly. The contact made Jack stir, and his head turned sharply and he winced, as if the touch caused him discomfort. Phil shook harder, watching his face for a response.

Jack's eyes opened immediately and he suddenly was a good six feet away from the Yeti, standing on his feet on the other side of the room, holding his staff threateningly. Phil stood still, unmoving, surprised and shocked about what had just happened in less than a second. Realizing there was no danger; Jack quickly turned away from the Yeti, running his hands over his face, realizing that he had been crying.

"Gwaga baron" Phil knew the teenager didn't speak Yeti, so he wouldn't understand. But Jack answered him, none the less. "Oh, uh, h-hey, Phil…" Jack's meager greeting sounded bone-tired and shaky. The Guardian turned to the Yeti and gave him a weak smile, and he noticed the dark shadows under his eyes. Phil crossed his arms. "Dughakag jarba?!"

Jack stared at him, dumbfounded. "….I'm sorry…What?" Rolling his eyes in frustration, the Yeti pointed to Jack and his appearance. It took a moment for the teen to convey the message clearly. Phil was asking what was wrong with him. Understanding what the worker was saying, Jack suddenly froze over, a habit from 300 years of being alone; a developed way to protect himself. He lied. "I'm fine, Phil."

Unconvinced, the mammal looked at him sternly. What felt like hours passed by in the penetrating gaze. Jack stared at the floor, uncomfortable. Phil waited for the truth. Jack breathed out a loud sigh and broke the silence, walking over to his door and opening it for the Yeti.

"I said I was fine. You can leave now."

The Yeti stood his ground, unmoving. Jack glared at him, starting to get annoyed. "Phil, please. I am asking you nicely. Just let me be alone for once!" They locked eyes for a moment longer, before Phil pushed past him with a growl. Jack watched his furry form disappear down the hallway, and Jack sighed. Being alone was the last thing he wanted, but he wanted to make everything seem alright. But underneath the ice, everything was breaking. His nightmares were steadily getting more disturbing. And Jack couldn't lie forever.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIiii

Gah….sorry I know its been a while! I spent so long trying to write this chapter. Alotta stress is on me with school and family issues! Hope you guys like this one….is it just me or are the dreams not scary? I'm trying to make them scary but I just can't! Any suggestions? Haha you ever is actually following this story and commenting, thank you guys so much. I love your reviews! Updates soon I promise


	9. Chapter 9: Talk to him

Winter's Illness

Chapter Nine: Talk to him

Sandy glanced up from a sugar cookie along with North, Bunnymund and Tooth when Jack Frost walked out of his room that morning and into the kitchen of Santoff Clausen. His sudden presence caught the Guardians' attention; all eyes were on him. "Morning, Jack!" North chuckled merrily. But the spirit said nothing, drained from lack of sleep. He quietly made himself a mug of chocolate, and it instantly chilled in his cool touch.

There was an awkward silence in the air as the spirit of winter struggled to stay awake, and his fellow Guardians waited for his greeting, but it never came. An elf that was passing around a cookie platter accidently bumped into Jack's leg, and dropped the tray of goods all over the floor. "Watch where you're going" Jack mumbled irritably. The worker glared up at him, much to Jack's annoyance, and started picking up the baked treats.

The Guardian of fun sighed and ran his hand through his hair. After his talk with Phil that night, Jack had never gotten back to sleep. And even when he tried, the threat of another nightmare was always there in his mind, keeping him from dozing. From lack of sleep, Jack's head was pounding and he felt highly agitated, which was extremely out of his care free attitude.

Jack winced as the familiar heat in his shoulder and upper back began, much to his despair. Sandy watched him questionably as the Guardian set his jaw and breathed deep, while the others were oblivious that he was in any state of pain. He should have just stayed in his bedroom and the Guardians wouldn't have a sharp eye on him for any sign that would be a cause for concern. Jack felt the crushing urge to sleep set in, and he began to secretly worry.

Bunny eyed him cautiously, his arms crossed. "Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed. You okay, mate? Looks like you didn't catch a wink." Jack didn't meet his gaze as he started at the floor, trying to concentrate on staying awake. "Jack, are you alright?" Tooth flew over to him and craned her neck so that she could look at his face. "Is something wrong?" Jack glanced up at her, and the fairy thought she saw a flicker of fear in his eyes. Why would he ever have a reason to be afraid of her?

"I'm fine…" he said under his breath, returning his eyes to the floor, his discomfort and temper growing. Bunnymund seemed unconvinced. "Are you sure?" He asked. Jack was instantly full of rage at the simple question, and his temper escalated. "I said I was alright!" He snapped sharply. Shocked by his sudden outburst, Bunny was taken back, and Tooth's eyes went wide as she hovered back a few feet, startled. Jack immediately regretted his heated words. The anger had not been his, so where had it come from?

The Guardians all looked to the boy now, concerned. Jack, who was uncomfortable enough already, felt pressured under the sudden attention and looked down at the ground, speechless and shame filled. His back was now alive and burning in pain. Backing away from them, He grabbed his Hot Coco and exited the kitchen without a word, grimacing as he hid his face. Tooth frowned at his behavior and looked to her fellow friends for advice. North mouthed to her: Talk to him.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooo

Pitch watched from the shadows with keen interest. It was working…slowly the poison was spreading, very slowly. It was finally beginning to take effect. How much fun this was! He watched from a dark corner in the workshop, his eyes bright with glee.

His cracked lips spread into a smile as the Guardians sent Toothiana to check up on Jackson. That was a conversation he was looking forward to ease dropping on. Hiding a chuckle, he watched the fairy silently disappear behind a corner and down the hall. Grinning broadly, Pitch Black evaporated into the darkness. He would not be seen.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooo

Jack felt a tight ball forming in his stomach and he quickened his pace down the hall. He should have just stayed in bed and not walked around at all. Why had he shouted at them? The pain in his back was growing steadier and the horrible feeling of dread came upon him. He couldn't stand another nightmare, which would drive him over his mental edge. The dreams seemed adequate, but the fear was beginning to fester from Jack's very depths, and it scared him more than anything else.

Passing elves scurried out of his way, angered and annoyed, but Jack did not slow down to apologize. The mug of chocolate in his hand had frozen over, and Jack set it down on an anonymous tray placed in the corridor. He needed to make it back safely to his room, before something happened to him. Jack could already feel his eyes starting to close against his will and his body starting to loosen.

Running inside his room, Jack pushed the door closed behind him and tugged at his hoodie, feeling overheated, which was extremely uncomfortable and not normal for a winter spirit. Jack tossed his staff onto his bed and hurried over to the window, pushed up the glass and let the cool breeze and snow meet him. But much to his disappointment, it did little to cool down the growing fire in his blood. Jack swayed, suddenly dizzy, and leaned against the window pane, trying to steady himself. Blackness crept into his eyes, making him temporarily blind. His chest heaved as the air became thick with sudden moisture.

"Please, not again…" he whispered. But it was too late. He felt his locked arms break as he fell forward, his chest hitting the wooden window sill and he fell to one knee, his vision swimming. Jack's hands gripped the sill's edge, keeping him upright, but the strength of his hold was dwindling. As his grasp finally gave out and he slipped off the window ledge, Jack wasn't even aware of Toothiana's horrified expression looking in from his cracked open door, watching him loose consciousness.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooo

Jack watched with an approving smile as Jamie and Sophie finished building a snowman, complete with coal eyes, a scarf, Jamie's hat, a carrot nose, and branches for arms. The two children stepped back to examine their cold creation. "What do you think, Jack?" Jamie turned his head to him, an eager glint in his eyes. The teenager laughed lightly and then put on a serious face, though he couldn't hide his grin. He walked around the snowman, rubbing his thin, pretending to think. After circling around it three to four times, Jack tilted his head to the side.

"Hmm….I don't know, Jamie… I think it needs one last touch. What do you think, Soph?" The four year old giggled and nodded her head. Grinning, He walked forward and placed his staff between the Snowman's branches. "There. Now it's got one thing all the other snowmen don't." Jamie looked at the stacked snowballs with something close to amazement.

"Hey!" He suddenly said, getting an idea. "Let's go sledding! You want to, Jack?" The spirit could never say no to Jamie Bennett, not that he ever would. When the teenager nodded his head in agreement, Jamie punched his fist in the air and grabbed his sled that was resting against a tree. "Okay. Sophie, you sit with me!" The nine year old boy placed the sled on the ground and sat on it eagerly, beckoning his little sister to sit in front of him. Sophie sat down in his lap and Jamie wrapped one arm around her, while keeping a firm hold on the grip bars.

Jack placed his hands on the back of the sled, sending small spirals of frost where his fingertips touched the wood. "You guys ready?" Smiling broadly and closing his eyes temporarily in concentration, Jack sent a blast of ice so powerful that the two children rocketed forward and sped off down the street, whooping in delight. Jackson watched as they climbed a snow slope and flew high in the air, screaming with glee, and disappeared behind the white precipitation. He put his hands on his head and let out a laugh of excitement and awe. "Yeah!"

He cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted, "Was that fun or what!?" Jack stood there and waited for the Bennett kids to walk back up over the snow, or to hear them yell back a response, but there was silence and they didn't come back. "Oh no..." His laughter dying out, Jack became serious and turned around to the snowman behind him, reaching for his staff. But the branches of the snowman had coiled around the wood, trapping it. Jack grabbed it with both hands on the staff and tried to pull it free, but the snowman and its grip was like stone. He left the staff and ran forward to the snowy area down the road, his big brother instincts kicking in.

Jack skidded to a stop when he came to the bank, shocked in utter horror as he gaped at a dark abyss where the street had crumpled away. "J-Jamie!? Sophie?! What have I done?!" Sinking to his knees, Jack hugged his chest, hot water filling his eyes. "Oh gosh…" Jack rocked on his heels and began sobbing in despair as salty tears ran down his cheeks and he started to feel sick. A voice suddenly rang out from the darkened cliff, "Jackie!", and his head snapped up as Jack recognized it.

"Sophie! Oh, thank god…" Tears of joy replaced the teen's sorrow and hope filled his voice. "Hang on, guys! I'm coming!" Wasting no time, Jack stood to his feet and jumped down into the darkness. He slid down the crumbling terrain wall, dragging his hand behind him, slowing his fall. The air was suffocating thin, and Jack couldn't use the wind to lift him off the floor, so he couldn't fly. As soon as Jack's feet hit the ground, his eyes searched franticly for the two kids. He heard his name. "Jack!" Spinning around, he saw Jamie and Sophie standing together, a broken sled in their hands.

Jamie led the battered, wooden toy fall and hid the ground, where it smashed to pieces. The Bennett children ran forward, hand in hand, toward the Guardian. The kids were about to grab Jack's outstretched hand when a coil of black sand wrapped around Sophie's body and Jamie's ankle, pulling them both back in an instant, dragging the resistant children away from his grasp. "JACK!" The two screamed his name as they were lifted up in the air by the black material.

"GUYS!" Jack ran towards them, desperately trying to get Jamie and Sophie down. Their screaming was torture to his ears and his heart. "LET THEM GO!" He screamed, furious at the darkness, but the sand only wrapped itself around the two tighter, securing them in its grasp. Jamie hung upside down, dangling from his foot. Sophie was gripped tightly around her small torso, cocooned from the neck to her ankles. Jack felt absolutely powerless to save them and he hated it.

More sand started to weave its way around the children, entangling them. Sophie screamed as the darkness wrapped around her, lifting her higher up in the air and started crushing her small body slowly. Jamie cried out as the sand trapped his wrists and waist, separating both siblings. "JACK! HELP!" The haunted chorus of terror echoed in the shadows, and it made the hairs on Jack's neck stand up.

Jack's blood felt ice cold as he was filled with rage. Jack ran forward, avoiding crashing sand pillars out of the shadows. He set his jaw as he jumped back, missing being hit by a hair. Jack was standing directly under the kids and he reached his hand toward Jamie, who still had a free hand. The nine year old creased his brow in concentration as he stretched his limit to be in fingertip's length of Jack's hand. "Don't worry Jamie, I got you."

Jamie smiled as Jack's hand clasped around his, and the spirit began to untangle the boy from the nightmare sand. "I don't think so, Jack." A chilling voice rippled through the dark substance, and a compact arm of sand slammed into the Guardian, ripping his hand from Jamie's. The collision sent him flying backwards, and he tumbled onto the ground, back where he started. The painful sound of ringing filled his ears as Jack lifted his head up from the floor.

Sophie screamed as the darkness engulfed her completely, and the cocoon began to focus on Jamie, leaving the little girl thrashing in a black swaddling blanket. Jack pushed himself off the ground quickly. "I'm coming, Soph!" He was not going to lose them. But explosions of black sand lunged out at him, desperately trying to pin their target. One hit Jack squarely in the chest, sending him crashing into a rock wall, where the wicked grain stuck to the structure, trapping Jack Frost with it.

The cocoon was now up to Jamie's chest and he looked to Jack with pleading eyes, begging for rescue. But no matter how hard he pulled against it, the sand held him to the wall like cement. The shadowing material began to mask the nine year olds face and body until he was completely covered in black. Jack watched in horror as the confining cocoons began to squeeze the thrashing children, crushing them. Its goal was to kill Sophie and Jamie.

When his believers started screaming in pain instead of panic, Jack began to frantically pull at the sand best he could, desperately fighting to be set free. He yelled at them that everything was going to be okay, but there was no hope in his voice. Jack felt tears flowing as the bundles became smaller and smaller, each time giving off the sounds off bones cracking. He tore his arm free and began to wiggle loose, only to feel arms wrap around him, pulling him back. "NO! LET ME GO!" Jack pulled as hard as he could against the restraints, but he knew it was pointless.

The sounds of cracking ceased, and Jack watched as the Nightmare Sand began to unravel itself very slowly. Still held to the wall, he could only look as the material laid two figures on the ground. Jack's breathing stopped. Pale and unmoving, two small kids lay crumpled on the black floor, lumps of misplaced bone producing from underneath their skin. Jack gasped at the sight of wild blonde hair caked with blood. "Sophie…"Jack's stomach churned at the sight.

Only one of them stirred, and Jamie's brown eyes gaped up at him, filled with tears. The battered nine year old whimpered at every movement. "J-Jack…" Jack breathed a sigh of horror. The sand holding Jack back disintegrated almost immediately and the Guardian stumbled forward, dropping to his knees beside him. He gingerly reached out to touch him, but his hands froze above the broken and bleeding figure, not wanting to cause him any pain. "Jamie I'm so sorry…This is all my fault…" He whispered, tears coming back to his eyes.

The little boy weakly lifted his misshaped hand off the ground and limply held on to Jack's, crying freely now. Jack drew Jamie into his arms and hugged his gently, his shoulders shaking. "Jack…" Jamie croaked out from his curled position in his arms. "I'm scared…" Jack took in shuttering breaths, trying to keep his voice from cracking, and said the same words he had 300 years ago to comfort a little girl in danger of falling through the ice. "I know…but you're going to be alright…I promise." The eighteen year old could practically feel Jamie's heartbeat growing weaker, and he was painfully shaken by the thought of losing the boy, same as he was his little sister.

"Don't leave me, Jack..." There was fear in Jamie's voice as his pale hand clutched onto his blue hoodie weakly. The spirit's lip quivered as he tearfully whispered, "I'm not going anywhere, kiddo." The boy in his arms eventually grew still and silent and the sound of the air leaving his small lungs echoed into the darkness. Jack clenched his teeth together to prevent himself from sobbing loudly, cutting off the moan of despair that came. Hugging the broken body closer to his chest, Jack rested his chin on the boy's brown hair, rocking his lifeless body back and forth. "I'm so sorry…" He cried. "I'm so, so sorry!"

Glancing down, Jack looked into his arms, where Jamie laid dead, hands still holding on to his hood for dear life. His big, brown eyes were glazed, all light gone from them, staring off into the shadows. Jack had to stop a cry from escaping his lips when he saw that hot water filled the still boy's eyes, and salty tears trailed down his lifeless cheeks. Jack overlooked his scraped and bumpy form, nauseated. Twisting around, he looked at Sophie, who had a vast pool of blood escaping from her small, crushed body.

Jack turned his head away, squeezing his eyes shut. "This isn't real…" He whispered. "It's not real…." His skin prickled as another voice joined him. "Who says it's not?" Pitch Black smiled gently above him, his hands folded behind his back. "How do you know it's not more than a dream?" Jack raised his face up to the Boogey man, his eyes blazing and full of hate. "You…" He hissed, his voice full of pain and fury. "You did this!" Pitch raised his eyebrows, amused.

"What have I done?" The nightmare King asked innocently. "Sometimes my nightmare sand is difficult to control, and there is little I can do." His voice was calm, almost bored. "You're a murderer!" Jack fumed, his temper flaring. Pitch sighed and walked around the boy, his eyes landing on the dead children. "You know, Jack…this would never of happened if you would have just joined me. Things could have turned out so much differently."

Jack's eyes went wide and he ground his teeth together, shaking with rage as he set Jamie down on the ground. Springing to his feet, he lunged at Pitch, whose back was turned. Seeing the advantage, He pulled back his fist, a scream of rage and hurt erupting from his throat, his lips pulled back into a snarl. Time slowed as Pitch Black spun around and stopped the teen by thrusting his gray hand out, sending a black explosion into his stomach. Jack slammed into a nearby wall and fell to the floor with a thud.

"What a waste…" Pitch sighed. The taste of metal flooded into Jack's mouth and he wiped away the red liquid from his chin. "We could be great allies, you and I. We don't have to be alone, you know. This…" He shoved aside the forgotten rubble of the broken sled. "…Does not matter when you have power to take its place. And I did you a favor, Jackson." He smiled down at the spirit in front of him. Jack glared up at him, and spat, "Favor? What favor have you ever done for me?"

"I saved you the pain of watching Jamie and Sophie Bennett grow up without you. You should be happy that they died in your arms rather than leave you behind, forgetting you with their memories." Jack slowly got one knee, his arm supporting him, his blood like ice. Pitch only watched with a light grin as Jack ran towards him, and the boogey man simply extended his hand, causing a weaving of darkness to grab him by the waist and throw the guardian high into the air and onto his back by the nightmare king's feet. Jack hugged his side, all air gone from his ribs, and groaned. "You chose the wrong side." Pitch said firmly, all humor gone from his voice. With one fluid motion, He bent down and tightened his hand around the boy's neck.

It curled around his throat like a vise, lifting him high in the air. Jack's voice caught as his oxygen supply was cut off and his hands immediately went to his throat, pulling hard at Pitch's hand. But he still kept his iron gaze, unwavering, staring coldly into the Boogey Man's eyes. "You have no one to blame but yourself." Pitch Black talked to Jack like he was a child who had done wrong, as though he was teaching a lesson. Frail air passed past Jack's lips in small amounts, barely enough to reach his lungs. His head pounded and his vision swam.

The King paused, lulling over a certain thought. Turning away from the spirit, Pitch released his hold on his neck and walk to the dead children on the floor. Jack lifted his head from the ground, his eye sight adjusting. When Pitch bent down and grabbed the children's bodies, Jack felt fear in the back of his mind and Pitch looked at him thoughtfully. "I think they will make wonderful fearlings, don't you? After all, the dead are the most frightening…especially dead children." Jack struggled to stand, but he couldn't muster the strength from lack of oxygen and pain. "Don't touch them…" He gasped.

Nightmare sand began to rise from the ground, wrapping up Pitch's legs and around the kids. "This all could have been avoided…" The boogey man and children began to turn into grain, being sucked down into the floor. Jack found his voice, panic rising in his chest. "No…" Pitch laughed darkly as He melted into the shadows, soaking into the floor. Jack got up shakily and stumbled forward; making one last desperate attempt to save the two children he loved most.

But Pitch swirled into the ground before he could. "NOOOO!" Anger replaced his pain and the winter spirit struck his fists on the black floor, ignoring the splitting of his knuckles. "PITCH! BRING THEM BACK, YOU COWARD!" Nothing but silence followed and he kept hollering until he felt something wrap around his mouth, muffling his voice. What seemed like invisible arms encircled him, restraining his movements. A voice interrupted his actions, first faint and then growing stronger. Someone was calling his name.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooo

Toothiana clamped her hand over Jack's mouth as he started screaming, wrapping her arms around him to keep the spirit still. Jack ripped his face away from her grasp, shouting threats to the shadows. "BRING THEM BACK OR I SWEAR-" Tooth quickly sealed off his voice, flinching at how pain-filled it was. Jack was so worked up; ice slicked the floor where he thrashed in her grip, trying to free himself. "LET ME GO!" His voice was muffled by her hands.

She glanced nervously at the door, worried about the noise, and Baby Tooth, who had been perching on her mom's shoulder, flew over and quietly left the room, closing it with difficulty due to her size. Tooth called out his name repeatedly, her voice gentle but slightly worried. The spirit of winter didn't even stir. When Toothiana was left with no more options, she hesitantly put her hand up to his face and pulled her arm back, squeezing her eyes shut. "Sorry about this, Jack!"

The sharp stinging sensation of being slapped brought Jack back out of his mind, and the Guardians eyes snapped open. But much to Toothiana's surprise, she was one the floor a second later, her arm twisted at a painful angle behind her back. Frost immediately climbed up it, and the ice was so cold, it felt hot, and burned like acid. Tooth gasped in pain as it laced up to her shoulder, and her cry of discomfort is what made Jack aware of his surroundings, bringing him back to the real word. His vision struggled to focus.

When his eyesight adjusted to the light, he was surprised and confused to see that he had unconsciously pinned someone to the ground. He gasped and released his grip immediately when he recognized it as the Tooth Fairy. Shamefaced, he backed away from her and watched the fairy sit up; rubbing the arm that Jack had held behind her back. "I-I'm sorry…" He noticed the ice coated on her feathers and on the floor. "Did I do that?" He asked, shocked at his own actions.

"Yes." She said feebly. The ice on her arm was starting to melt and Tooth looked at him with concern, with a hint of it in her voice. "I saw what happened to you, Jack." His gaze drifted to meet hers, and there was interment silence between the both of them. "Is there something wrong with you? Please; I need you to tell me." The youngest guardian hesitated, his eyes wandering. "I'm just tired..." Jack twiddled with his thumbs, and cleared his throat, giving a light shrug. "It's nothing, really. I'm perfectly fi-" "Don't say fine!" She snapped suddenly, surprising even herself. "I don't know why you're playing this like a game, because obviously it's not one! Something maybe wrong and I need to know before you get hurt!"

Shocked at her sudden outburst, the spirit of winter sat utterly still, his eyebrows arched in surprise. The Tooth fairy sighed quickly and closed her eyes, regaining her calm posture and was silent. Moments pasted in silence, until Jack spoke. His words that he said next were slow, as if he was choosing them carefully. "….I have been having dreams lately…nightmares." Toothiana looked to him as he continued. "I don't know why, but I get them every night. And there is this…overwhelming urge to sleep and I can't fight it anymore." Jack felt Tooth's eyes transfixed on him, but he didn't stop talking.

"The dreams are so real…" He whispered. "They are so horrible and they constantly stay with me, even when I'm awake…I just can't do it anymore. And my shoulder…" He subconsciously reached up and probed for a wound, put his skin was smooth. "It is constantly burning, along with my back, but I don't see or feel anything that could have hurt it."

Jack's words became easier to say and he began to talk faster, relieved to be saying the truth to someone. "And I can't tell the others. I'm always getting in trouble; I feel like everyone's burden, you know? So I figured it would just be better if they just didn't know about it. I thought it was no big deal. I'm sure it's not. But I'm just so tired all the time…"

Tooth nodded in understanding, and spoke gently. "What are your dreams about?" Silence followed. But after a moment, Jack spoke again. "They are about the people I care about. It starts off good, but something always goes wrong…" His voice sounded different, and Tooth knew he was giving the simple explanation, masking the horrid images that must have gone through his mind. "One was about Jamie and Sophie…" His tone was thick, and even though his head was turned away from her, Tooth thought she saw tears in Jack's eyes.

"We were in Burgess, building a snowman like any other day. Jamie suddenly wanted to go sledding, and I agreed of course. He and Soph got on Jamie's wooden one, and I pushed them off with some ice. But then…" His voice quavered. "They disappeared down the road. I called out to them but they never answered me back. I went to go get them but I found a huge, dark abyss where the earth had crumpled away. Sophie called out to me and I followed it down into the hole. And they were there, together."

"They ran towards me, and I almost touched them. But something happened." Jack felt his blood boil. "Something snatched them away from me, and they screamed for me to help them. I tried so hard to reach them, but I never could. The darkness seemed to engulf them, and they were being crushed. And...I couldn't do anything about it..."

Tooth reached over and placed her hand on his arm, giving him a reassuring squeeze, and waited for him to continue. Jack took a shuttering breath, and what he said next made a chill go down the fairy's spine. "When they finally were set back on the ground, Sophie was already gone and Jamie was barely alive. Their bones were misplaced and broken. I went to Jamie and held him while he talked to me. He told me he was scared." Jack bit down on his lip, feeling the sadness.

"I told him everything was going to be alright…that I wasn't going to leave him. I could feel his heartbeat fading. I could feel everything!" Jack's chest caved and he leaned forward, putting his head in his hands. "He died in my arms, Tooth! I let them both die and it was my fault!" The fairy's eyes also became tearful as the Guardian in front of her broke down. The Tooth Fairy leaned over and wrapped her arms around him, trying to sooth him. "It's okay…" "It was my fault!" "No, it was not. Look at me." Reaching under his chin, she gently pulled his eyes up to hers. "It was a dream. I'll get Sandy to take care of those nightmares, alright?"

Jack nodded slightly and Tooth held him in her embrace once more. "Now, if something, anything happens to you, please tell me, okay?" Jack grinned softly at her motherly nature. "Okay." The fairy released him and smiled gently at his response. "Good…" she quietly lifted off the ground and into the air, helping Jack off the floor. "Do you want to come have breakfast with us? The others will be wondering what happened to you." Jack shook his head and nodded toward the window. "No thanks. I think I'll go outside for a bit. I need to think. But can you do me a favor and not tell the guys? Especially not Bunnymund or North…"

Toothiana nodded and smiled sadly. "Okay. I understand. I won't say a word if you don't want me to. As long as you're okay, I'm happy." She turned to go when Jack grabbed onto her wrist holding her back for a moment. "Tooth, can I ask you something?" She turned to him. "Of course you can. Anything" Jack swallowed as he said, "Can you erase people's memories? You know, after you've given them?" The question made her pause.

"Well, yes. It is one of my powers as the Guardian of memories. Why?" Jack seemed to digest this for a moment before speaking. "No reason. Just wondering…" Laughing lightly, Tooth flew over to his door and opened it. "You're sure you're okay?" Jack smiled at her. "Fi-…I'm okay, Tooth. Really." "Alright…" With that, she disappeared out of his view.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooo

Pitch Black grinned evilly as Jack climbed out his bedroom window. He would certainly have plenty of time to think. And if the Sandman thought for a moment that he would interfere with Pitch's plan, he would be in for a surprise. As Jack Frost lightly landed in the snow outside, pitch followed him in the shadows. It was time for him to have a little fun.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooo

Toothiana flew into the kitchen of Santoff Clausen, calm and positive. North was the first to notice her and set down his mug of Coco, and pulled her aside. "Did you talk to him?" He kept his voice low, in case the report she had was urgent and disturbing. "He's fine. Jack just has been having a little dream troubles. Nothing Sandy can't fix." Nodding, North sighed in relief and was distracted by a cookie, and Tooth sat down on a nearby chair. Baby Tooth flew onto her lap and nested down into her feathers while Toothiana stared at the floor, silent, wondering whether or not by lying she had helped Jack, or just made his problems worse.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Sorry about the long wait! Please forgive me, you guys! But TA-DA! It took nine pages to write! My longest one yet! Hope you guys enjoyed it! I worked really hard on this one, thanks to a little advice! (Thank you Beanie-art1) But do you guys have any questions or comments so far on the story? If you do, I'd be glad to answer. And some of your ideas for the story might just happen, so don't be afraid to share your creativeness! Ha-ha. New updates soon, I promise.


	10. Chapter 10: Restless

Winter's Illness

Chapter Ten: Restless

Jack smiled lightly, his feet walking the opposite direction of his opened window. The cool breeze had lightened his mood and he did not feel cross anymore. His shoulder had even stopped hurting at the moment, letting the young guardian's mind clear, so he could think. The conversation he had with Toothiana raced through his thoughts, and multiple questions bombarded him. Would the fairy keep her word to him? Would she tell the others about him screaming in his sleep and that he had pinned her to ground when she had woken him? Jack certainly hoped not.

Shaking his head of the trouble that the truth could cause, Jack glanced around him, making sure he was not being watched, and he closed his eyes, mustering all the strength he had to focus and lift himself off the ground. In the past day since he had been found, he had made little progress with the Guardians keeping a sharp eye on him, but that day he seemed to actually be improving. "Come on, wind…help me out here…" The air around him felt like it was struggling, and Jack braced himself for the pain it could bring, but the only thing the teenager felt was floating a few inches off the ground. A sound of shock and joy came from him and Jack became excited about the idea of flying, but his feet landed to the ground shortly after and he found that he could not do it again. Shrugging off his disappointment, Jack twirled his staff in between his fingers, and he breathed a sigh of relief at the peacefulness he was finally indulging in, setting off towards the woods where he could be alone.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooo

Tooth silently beckoned for the Sandman to follow her out into the hallway, and when they were alone, she addressed him hesitantly, her voice soft. "Hey Sandy, I need to ask you a favor." Sandy nodded and a question mark flowed together in his hands. Tooth looked over her shoulder to make sure they would not be heard. "I think something's wrong with Jack. He's getting really bad nightmares and he can't sleep. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind fixing it for him so he can get a little rest." Sandy nodded almost immediately, waving off the favor and smiled, telling her it was no trouble to do. "He didn't want me to tell the others, but I personally think that there's more going on with Jack than we think… But can you please try to rid his mind of the nightmares? They are obviously taking a toll on him."

Sandy smiled in understanding, and went off to down the hall, leaving the fairy to herself. Tooth sighed audibly as her feathers ruffled. Was she doing the right thing by not telling North, Bunnymund, and Sandy what she suspected? Jack normally didn't scream in his sleep, she thought bitterly. He was hiding the truth from her and the rest of them. Was it that Jack's dreams were that horrible, or was it 300 years of rejection and silence delayed his ability to open up?

"It's probably nothing" She murmured, her mind turning. Baby Tooth squeaked from her position on her Momma's shoulder, and Tooth, who had temporarily forgotten about the little sprite, turned at her high pitched opinion which only fairies understood. "Jack? Oh, He went for a walk…" Tooth frowned. "Alone…" The two glanced at each other warily, and Tooth smiled reassuringly, though it was tinted with uncertainty. "I'm sure he'll be fine."

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooo

Jack watched a frail snowflake drift past his face with a bemused grin. He personally thought it was beautiful for a Tuesday morning, even though the moon was constantly in the place of the sun, but it provided the same light. Jack had been enjoying himself in the silence of winter. The trees made shadows stretch over the boy, and it stirred precaution up in Jack for some reason, but he reassured himself that there was nothing to fear of the darkness. He scoffed and smiled at his own thoughts. He was perfectly safe at Santoff Clausen, and nothing was going to put him back in a sour mood.

The spirit of winter lightly lifted himself up onto a low tree branch and stretched out on it, placing his hands behind his head. He shifted so that he was comfortable and let his right let hand over the side. He missed the pleasure of resting, since as of late his mind was filled to the brim with darkness and death. Jack rolled his eyes at the fact, and watched the trees above him, swaying in the freezing wind. For a moment, Jack felt completely alone again; numb and unseen. Setting his jaw at the sudden remembrance, the spirit of winter hastily pushed it away.

But his mind didn't seem to want the thought to leave, and fresh ideas came to him, causing Jack to frown at his sudden change in mood and sit up from his lying position, suddenly uncomfortable. Who was he anyway? Did his existence truly even matter? No one believed in him besides two children and the other Guardians. What would happen in the future when the kids grew up? What if he disappointed the guardians? What if…..

Jack rubbed his fingers across his brow, refusing for the thoughts to go any further. What had evoked them in the first place? Why couldn't he just relax for a few measly seconds before it was ruined? A sudden snap of a twig brought Jack out of his head, and he was instantly on guard. The teenager, wide eyed and silent, glanced around him, noticing the sudden temperature drop and a chilling feeling hung in the air. The tree he was sitting in had been engulfed in shadows, along with all the others. The sudden cloud of darkness hung in the air, blocking out the brightness of the Moon.

"What…?" The spirit strained his eyes as far into the foliage and trees as they would see, and noticed with a hint of unease that the forest was growing to appear almost dead looking, giving off a haunting picture. The cracking of more branches made his peacefulness disappear all too quickly. Securing his staff tighter in his hands, the Guardian slipped off his tree branch, feeling no cold as his feet touched the frostbitten snow. Jack decided it was probably time to leave the woods and get back to his family. He quickly retraced his steps, being as alert as possible. Something wasn't right.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooo

Baby Tooth waited by the window, her small mind racing. Should she go check up on Jack? Just to make sure he was okay? Baby Tooth mulled over the idea for a few minutes or so, and looked back out to the woods, watching for the first sign of a blue hood. In a flash, she smiled as she materialized through the window, a trick for collecting teeth from children, and zipped off towards the vast forest, her large spring green eyes searched while her body was a colorful streak in the sky.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooo

Hiking through the snow, Jack was starting to regret taking this walk. He tried to keep his nervous caution under control, which made the snow fall fast and thin. He swore he could feel something watching him from the darkness. His eyes roamed, searching for danger, but there was no apparent threat. What was he doing? Nothing appeared to be wrong, so why was he so alert? An animal probably stepped on dead wood, producing the sounds that had spooked him.

But out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw a flicker of movement, grasping his full attention. Turning, he faced the trees surrounding him, watching carefully. Why did everything have to go wrong when he was around? Did things like this ever happen to the others? Not a slight chance. Jack always seemed to attract trouble, especially when he didn't want it. He gripped his staff tighter, and raised it threateningly to the wood, even though his heart was pounding in his ears.

Fighting off his fear, Jack prepared himself for anything. The winds around him grew still as a shrill voice echoed around him. It was the sound of a child's giggling. Jack's eyes went wide as he recognized the voice and walked forward, following cautiously. He knew that voice.

Pushing aside branches that hung down low, Jack began to trail after a tiny figure. A child, which seemed to melt into the shadows, disappearing and reappearing. He hurried to catch up with the kid, to find out what on earth one was doing in the North Pole. As he crashed through the thick foliage of the forest, Jack realized he was back out into the snowy landscape of Santoff Clausen. But the child had vanished into thin air as soon as he blinked, leaving Jack standing alone in the vast emptiness of the white wonderland, lost in thought at what had just occurred.

Something fluttered in his face, and Jack stepped back as Baby Tooth startled him. "Hey Baby Tooth, Did you come to check up on me?" Baby Tooth nodded at him and smiled, chirping soft, melodic tunes. Jack extended his hand and she nestled into it, allowing Jack to rub his thumb across her head. But Jack's head was elsewhere, and he nervously glanced back to the woods. Making his way back to Santa's workshop, Jack felt his confusion consume him completely. What the heck was going on around here?

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooo

Pitch smiled at his little creation, its job fulfilled…for now. "Good job, my little fearling. You have done your purpose well." The little figure of Emma Overland looked up at him, her skin of black sand shifting as her golden eyes smiled up at him. Pitch Black was very proud of himself for mustering the strength to form one of Jack Frost's family members, straight from his memory. "But there is much more for you to do. You know your orders. Go." The nightmare clone of Emma sunk into the ground immediately without a single word, becoming one with the darkness itself. The Boogey man smiled deviously as he watched Jack from the shadows, eagerly waiting what was to come.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIiishort chapter, you guys, I know. Couldn't get into it again. I'm so tired! It's so late! But I promise I will try to make the next one longer! And a hint: brace yourselves for chapter eleven…. :D ha ha I have actually put some of your ideas to work. Enjoy the short chapter! Sorry, again!


	11. Chapter 11: Hallucinating

Winter's Illness

Chapter Eleven: Hallucinating

"What do you mean, 'You can think Pitch has set himself free?' Do you mean from his lair? North, you should have said something!" Bunnymund, Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, and the Sandman all stood close together, their voices hushed in case a mischievous winter spirit happened to walk in any moment. North glared at the Guardian of hope, cross at the accusation as his voice rose slightly. "I have suspicions, yes. The Boogey man could be out there doing who knows what! I am keeping eye out, Bunny!" Tooth glanced at the large man, and hissed fearfully. "Keep your voices down, if anyone hears us…if-if somehow Jack finds out-" North interrupted her. "Jack's not going to find out because none of us are going to let him know about it." The fairy hid her face with her dainty hands. "What is the point of all this? Why must we be so secretive? I don't want to lie..."

"You're not lying, Toothie…" He said gently. "We are protecting him from doing anything rash! We must wait till he is able to handle news. We know that he is shaken from Saturday. If he's willing to talk to us, then we let him. We must be patient. Give him time to think." The fairy nodded slowly, along with the others. Sandy raised his hand, his face eager as he longed to say something apparently of importance. But North did not acknowledge him, continuing to talk quietly. "Remember, my Guardians, we must not tell J-"

"Tell me what?" Jack appeared behind them, shaking snow off his hoodie. The four froze, caught by surprise. What had he heard? What was he doing back so early? North was the first to recover. "Jack! I see you are back from your walk. How was it?"

The spirit paused, his smile temporarily disappearing. He opened his mouth to tell the Guardians about what had happened in the woods earlier, but the words died in his throat. "Uh…it was great. Felt nice to clear my head." North smiled with pleasure at his response. "That's good. You look better." Santa Claus felt a tug on his sleeve, and saw the Sandman staring him down, a frown on his face. North could see he was troubled, like he needed to tell him something. "Ahh…If you will excuse us, I need to have word with Sandy." The rest watched the pair walk out of the room, leaving the three behind in silence.

OooooooooooooO

Pitch Black licked his lips with anticipation as he watched the vulnerable guardians beneath him, completely unaware about what was about to unfold before them. If all went according to his desires, the task would go perfectly. He had spent a week perfecting the trick of altering one's hearing and sight. His fearling of Emma Overland would appear as real as she had 300 years ago, and Jack would be the only Guardian able to see or hear her. Being mute, he looked out of the corner of his eye, and signaled for his little creation to do her job. She disappeared almost instantly, leaving him to his thoughts in the darkness of the workshop's corner.

Pitch longed to destroy the winter brat, but He had to be patient. If his anxiousness got the better of him, it would destroy his hopes. Smiling wickedly, he simply extended one gray finger from the shadows, and from it trailed an almost invisible thread of black grain. And Pitch was directly above his one target, which made this next step so much easier to perform. All he had to do was wait…

OooooooooooooO

Once the Sandman and Santa Claus were behind closed doors, North silently turned to the small man, a look of concern etched in his features. "What is wrong, Sandy? Is there something you need to tell me?" Sandy nodded; worry shined from him as he nervously played with his fingers. "Vat is it?" His Russian voice became soft, his eyes curious. Slowly, sand swirled out of his small hands. It trickled into a set of piercing eyes.

A familiar face, hard as stone, grew around them. The head developed a neck, and sand flowed to the shape of a slender man, sunk into and reappeared in the churning, golden grain. The small figure made the guardian watching stir. "…Pitch Black? This is about Boogey man?" Sandy replied with a bob of his head. North included closer to him, his tone serious. "You feel his presence here too, don't you?" The sandman met his gaze, his look saying everything.

OooooooooooooO

The black sand silently descended down to the unsuspecting three, invisible to their eyes. In a few moments, it was swirling around its appointed target. Pitch watched it with growing anxiousness, an evil hunger circling in his eyes and he smirked as he looked down in delight. The trail of horror twisted around Jack Frost's head and he smiled at Baby Tooth, who perched on his shoulder, both unaware of anything unusual. The dark line suddenly shot into the boy's face, running itself into his eyes and lodging itself in his ears.

The impact was precisely what the king of nightmares had expected. The spirit of winter immediately fell to his knees and hunched over, crying out sharply as the grain dug its way into his iris and his eardrums. Baby Tooth fluttered to the ground and gave a shrill squeak to grasp her mother's attention. Tooth gasped in surprise and quickly went to his aid, allowing BT to fly to her feathered head dress where she looked to the boy in fright. Bunnymund bent over him, his voice urgent and the care was not hidden. "Jack? Jack, what's wrong, mate?" The Guardian of fun only shook his head, not able to form any words as he squeezed his eyelids shut and pressed his hands against his ears with what seemed enough force to crush his skull.

OooooooooooooO

Jack felt like his eyes were being scrubbed away with sandpaper while a hot iron rod was being gouged into his ears. It was all he could do to keep from screaming from the sudden fire. He could hear Bunnymund above him, asking if he was alright, but he couldn't answer as his words were burned away. Jack thought he had been getting better, so why was this happening? His stomach lurched and he ground his teeth together, trying to ward off the pain. And then it all stopped.

As quick as a candle being burnt out, the agonizing burn was gone, along with all feeling of discomfort. Everything had simply vanished. For a moment he wondered why his pain would come and go like it did. But he opened his eyes, trying to focus. His sight was blurred and slow, like he had been hit in the head by something even though he felt no pain.

The only thing clear in front of him was Emma Overland. Jack was speechless at her appearance. Her eyes were large and a rich brown…almost golden. Her cheeks were an exciting red and her freckles showed. Her lips were a crème pink, which stretched into a smile, revealing straight, white teeth. Emma looked as real as she ever had, only more…perfected. "Hi, Jack!"

The Guardian was taken aback by her voice, which rang like soft, high bells. She laughed at him and Jack felt his heart warm, feeling the love he had for his youngest sister immediately surface. He found his voice, which swirled with disbelief. "Emma?" She nodded, giggling as she brought her hands to his face and lightly touched his features, playing with his hair and clothes. She looked into his eyes that resembled cut sapphires, her voice full of laughter and awe. "You look so much different!"

The boy smirked, becoming playful at her words. "I look different?" He teased. "You are the one who looks strange!" He chuckled and caught her small hand on his face, holding it there, smiling as he came in contact with skin that was as smooth as silk. "You look like an angel, Em…" But Jack paused for a moment, becoming questionable as he started to get to his feet. "But…how are you here? What happened? I was standing with the others and then-" The girl immediately pulled him back down gently, and he looked to her. "It doesn't matter, Jackson."

As he paused and held her gaze, somehow Jack lost his train of thought, his suspicions lost and his worries forgotten by the power of Pitch Black. Emma smiled at this, releasing his pale wrist, and the boy slowly smiled back. "What was I going on about?" The girl shrugged, producing laughter from the both of them. She extended her small hand out to him in a way that made her almost too adorable. "I want to show you something! Will you come with me?" Without a moment's hesitation, the spirit of winter intertwined his fingers with hers, and slowly got to his feet.

OooooooooooooO

Bunnymund and Tooth watched with caution as the child in front of them slowly sat up, and began speaking to the thin air, smiling bright. "Who's he talking to?" The fairy whispered fearfully, hiding behind the Aussie's furry shoulder. "I don't know…" They glanced nervously at each other as Jackson reached out and grasped nothing, quickly getting to his feet. Bunny stepped forward, motioning for Toothiana to stay where she was. "Jack…" He said carefully, walking towards the youngest guardian. "Mate, can you hear me?" The boy said nothing, but started walking away from them, being drawn by an invisible force.

Locking his jaw, the Easter bunny quickly grabbed his arm, refusing for him to take another step. "Jack, this isn't funny. If you're playing a game, you need to end it." The eighteen year old pulled at his hold, still smirking at the floor…almost as if someone was there. Bunnymund's face went slack. "Tooth!" He called over his shoulder. "Go get North and Sandy!" She paused, unsure about leaving him alone with the boy. "But what about-" "Now!" She immediately closed her mouth at his sharp tone, shooting out of the room and down the hall.

OooooooooooooO

"Where are we going?" Emma laughed at his question, pulling him along. "Somewhere special!" But Jack's smile faded as he realized he couldn't follow her any longer. "Jack? What's wrong?" He looked to the girl who was holding his hand, leading him. "…I can't move." He felt an invisible force holding onto his wrist, almost like a hand. No matter how hard he pulled, it wouldn't let go.

OooooooooooooO

Bunny held on to the teenager, not allowing him to walk in any direction. He noticed that Jack started to feel the force pulling him back and saw the confusion on the boy's face. As Jack looked to the wood of the workshop, he began to talk randomly. "…I can't move." He mumbled these words as if it was the strangest thing in the word. Bunny felt chills as he understood that it sounded as though Jack Frost had been answering a question that was given to him.

Elves that had been passing by stopped and stared, wondering what on earth was going on. Bunny scowled at them and they scurried away. What he needed was a yeti that could help restrain the boy in front of him who apparently was using every ounce of strength in his body to rip his arm free, and was slowly succeeding. But the Yetis were outside at the moment, guarding Santoff Clausen from the Boogeyman so Bunny couldn't receive any help. Instead, he silently prayed that the others would come and figure out what exactly was wrong with Jack Frost and if the teen had finally gone off the mental edge.

OooooooooooooO

When Toothiana knocked on the door to Santa's study, her heart was beating a million miles a minute. "Guys, are you in there?!" she cried out, frightened while her plea was accompanied by Baby Tooth's urgent chirps. "Open the door, please!" After a few moments, the locked piece of the wall swung open, and she was face-to-face with the two Guardians. "Tooth?" North questioned, his tone fatherly and concerned. "What is problem?" It took the fairy a minute to catch her breath, which seemed to have left her. "It's…its Jack! Something's wrong with him!"

The Guardians of Wonder and Dreams listened as she explained the events that had suddenly unfolded in their absence. She spoke quickly, seeing the worry in their eyes. "Bunny told me to come and get you two. We don't know what's wrong with him!" The Russian slowly looked to the man beside him, both thinking the same thought: Pitch Black. Could it be possible he had some part in the strange behavior of their Jackson? As soon as she finished talking to them, the trio ran down the hall and around corners, searching for a bunny and a spirit of winter.

OooooooooooooO

The Easter Bunny's ears heard faint footsteps down a corridor to his right and he turned to see the small figures of North, Sandy, and Tooth hustling toward him. "Bunny!" North's voice cut through the air, thick and growing louder. In a few seconds, they were breathless at his side. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Sandman's eyes widen and his features darken as he realized something in that room was definitely not right. He was the not the only one to realize that there was something evil hiding in the shadows.

"Sandy, I need you to do something for me." The man looked to the Aussie, also feeling the shift that was unnatural. "I want you to illuminate every corner of this room. Not one shadow, mate, you understand?" The man nodded, fully grasping Bunnymund's reason behind the request. Without a word, a river of gold exploded from his hands, spinning around the group of five. As the room brightened, the darkness seemed to waver, and they all silently thought that it would fix whatever was wrong. But making the shadows waver was the worst mistake they made that day.

OoooooooooooooO

Emma fell to the ground before him, her hands slipping from his. She shielded her face from something invisible, in a sudden state of pain as though the sun was blinding her. Jack immediately knelt by his sister, worried. "Emma, what's going on?!" She sobbed perfect, crystalized tears, her voice trembling. "He's hurting me!" He frowned. "Who's hurting you?" She pointed behind Jack, fear in her voice. "Him!"

Turning to the direction she was looking, he saw the blurred figure of the Sandman. His sight still slow and incorrect, he squinted against the blurry vision. For a brief second, the fog cleared, and he saw his family member, the Sandman lighting up the room. He smiled at him and took a step towards the golden man. But then his sight burned and he hissed in pain, stumbling back to the girl.

He blindly opened his eyes again, and in the place of the sand man was Pitch Black, and behind him was three fearlings, who pounded their hooves as they eyed his sister hungrily. The figures seemed to glitch, struggling to veil the real people behind it. Fury erupted from inside him, and he spotted his staff, abandoned on the floor. He lunged for it, his lips pulled back into a snarl. He was not going to let Pitch hurt his family, past or present, anymore.

OoooooooooooooO

The Guardians looked to the boy in sudden surprise as a roar erupted from his throat as Jack spun, sending a mass of frost and ice towards the King of Nightmares, unaware it was his friend. "SANDY, MOVE!" Bunny pushed him out of the way, barely missing the cold by a hair. "Stay away from my family!" Jack shrieked, his eyes protective. Bunny glared at him, anger mixing with pure confusion. What the heck was he talking about?! "Jack, it's us!" But Jack couldn't see nor hear his words.

The Guardian of Fun didn't even waver. He ran forward, his staff cracking with power. The Guardians lunged away from his flying ice and hail, backing away from the boy with wild eyes and locked jaw. But they noticed he was aiming at them if they came close to him, but Sandy was his main focus. When Tooth flew up to calm him, he sent a blast that hit her square in the stomach, causing her to shriek and fall to the ground.

The Guardians ran forward, each fussing over her. "I'm fine…I'm alrig-" Her words were cut off by her scream as frost immediately laced up her feathers and etched up her chest, and curled into a ball. "Tooth, what's happening?" She shuttered, her breath gone. "It's burning!" North bent down and picked up the petite woman, giving the winter spirit a hard glare. Bunny growled, "What is your problem, Frost!?" His only answer was the sharp sting of an ice shard slicing the skin of his arm as it crashed into the wall.

OoooooooooooooO

"Jack!" Emma sobbed behind him, and he briefly turned to see her almost becoming transparent. But as she did, her perfect appearance slightly slipped. Jack saw her rosy skin become shifting lump of black grain, and her eyes glow golden like the Boogey man's. But in an instant it was gone, and he saw his little sister, forgetting what he had witnessed. "Make it stop!" She cried out to him, and he gave her a reassuring nod of his head. "I will, Em. I'll make it go away."

Jack turned back to the enemy in front of him, who was evading his attacks. The fearlings protected the dark man, occasionally trying to get near his sister. But when he extended his staff towards them, a tiny part of his mind screamed that it was wrong. That he wasn't doing the right thing, but he pushed it away, his brotherly instincts refusing for it to stop him from protecting his little girl. "Stay away from us!" He hissed.

OoooooooooooooO

North paused. "Did he just say, 'us'?" He set Tooth down in a corner, suddenly getting an idea. "Bunny, create a distraction!" The Aussie nodded and hopped forward, grabbing the boy's attention. "Eh, mate! Over here!" Jackson faced him, and slicked the floor, causing the Guardian of Hope to fall and become pinned to the ground by a blast of ice. With Jackson's back turned, the Russian ran forward and entrapped the thin boy in his arms, restraining the spirit as his staff fell to the ground.

North growled as Jack touched his arms, his fingertips sending thick sheets of ice up them. But it only trapped the teenager in the man's steel grip even more. Jack fought against him, screaming to be set free as the temperature in the room dropped below zero. The man yelled at the Sandman, who sent a swirl of golden sand gently onto the youngest Guardian. The room immediately lightened as all darkness was evaporated.

OoooooooooooooO

Pitch silently shrieked in the shadows out of frustration as he was driven out by the cursed brightness. He hissed in fury as his fearling clone of the Overland girl was destroyed. But she was nothing more than a simple creation with no thought for herself, only what he had commanded her to say and act out. Why did the Sandman have to ruin his plans!? He may have failed that time, but he was not done yet by the slightest. Sighing in anger, he sunk into the fleeting shadows, back to his lair.

OoooooooooooooO

Jack's vision instantly became clear and he opened his eyes, even though due to Sandy, they were growing heavy. He looked around at his family, confused. North's arms were frozen around him, and Tooth was sobbing in a corner, her entire body frosted as Baby Tooth tried her best to comfort her. Bunny was nursing his arm while unpinning himself from the ground, and his arm was losing a massive amount of blood because of a deep cut across his bicep. Sandy was looking at the Guardian with wide eyes…frightened of him!

He fought against the sleep, turning to the man holding him in a crushing grip. North's eyes were so full of disappointment and pain. What had he done? He whispered to the Russian, his voice horrified as he tried to stay awake. "…What's happening to me, North?" And as the tendrils of sand finally took effect, Jack let out a shuttering sigh as his head fell forward and he went limp in the elder Guardian's grasp. The man looked down on the boy for a second before answering softly, "I don't know anymore, Jack…I don't know…"


	12. Chapter 12: Serious Situation

Winter's Illness

Chapter Twelve: Serious Situation

Tooth peaked into Jack's room, where the boy laid unconscious underneath his covers. He had been in the same state for hours, not even stirring in the slightest. Her stomach still stung after the ice thawed away, but she tried to push that thought out of her mind, knowing that Jack would have never have done that on purpose. Sighing gently, she closed the door quietly, being careful not to wake the boy inside that would probably be disgusted with himself when he was conscious again. And even after what had happened that morning, she couldn't bear to expose him to that…it was just too much.

As she turned away from the door, her eyes met with the others only a few feet away, also keeping an eye out in case the spirit awoke. Tooth floated over to them, and North addressed her, talking in hushed whispers. "How's he doing, Toothie?" The fairy frowned, closing her eyes. "…Still asleep. North…what are we going to do when he does wake up? What are we supposed to tell him?" The Guardian cast a look at the closed door. "We deal with that when sleep wears off. Sandy dosed him hard enough to be out like light for hours. It will be a while."

Bunny walked over from a corner, his eyes hard. "He has to go… After today, it's not safe to keep him here anymore." "What?" Toothiana gasped. "No! He's not going anywhere! Something is obviously wrong with him! Can't you see that!?" She looked to North for help, but he was silent, allowing the argument to take place. It needed to happen. She turned to the Aussie, staring him down.

"What has gotten into you, Bunny?! Why should you be the one to decide what we should do? You saw the look on his face after he realized what happened!" The Easter Bunny stepped toward her, returning her icy glare, but she still stood tall. "He could have killed one of us, Tooth. You understand that, right?" "But he didn't!" "He's not himself. Whatever happened to him last Saturday screwed with his head and he's a danger to all of us! You know that! Personally, I think Jack should go off and fix his own problems!"

Her voice rose as her blood boiled, causing her feathers to ruffle. "He wasn't in control of himself and we need to find out why. Now, if you want to be the one to judge, go ahead and make him leave because if he gets worse, he would be walking away from the only chance he has to get better, and it will be your fault! And if he dies for some unknown reason, I swear…" She paused, her voice shaking of suppressed rage as she pointed to the bedroom door beside them. "Bunnymund, if that boy in that room dies I swear I will hold you personally responsible. Think about that for a second before you decide you want to do anything stupid!" She spat the last word at him as she flew out of the room, leaving the Guardian of Hope with his teeth grounding.

He rolled his eyes, muttering, "Fairies…" He turned to North, who had been staring at the ground, turning his head to the side. Bunnymund sighed in frustration. "What, North? Are you giving me the silent treatment, now? Because I'm really not in the mood for-" The elder cut off his words with his hand, hushing him. The Bunny lost his irritation as North put his finger up to his lips as he heard a slight creak of wood. North put his hand on the knob next to them and opened the door with a turn.

Inside the room, a white haired teenager with blue eyes sat on the side of his bed, his back facing them. He was bent over with his hands in his face, trying his best to be silent while hearing the voices just outside. At the sound of his bedroom door being opened, he turned his head sharply to them, surprised in being caught. The Guardian of Wonder's heart broke as he saw tears falling down the spirits cheeks and the boy was speechless. He had heard everything.

OooooooooooooO

When Jack had woken up, it had been to the sound of hushed voice, one was very high and the other very annoying. He had slept more peacefully than he had in a while. But then his relaxed state was ruined when he heard the words, "He has to go… After today, it's not safe to keep him here anymore." His breathing hitched and he was hit by the flood of memories that had been hidden by his dreams, and Jack suddenly felt sick at the thought that had haunted him since his actions: They wanted him to leave because of what he had become…a threat.

Fully awake, he fearfully got out of bed, being careful not to make a sound. His pale feet moved quickly across the wooden floor, silent from 300 years of practice. He crept over to the door, straining to hear his friend's whispering argument. "…He could have killed us this morning. You understand that, right?" "But he didn't!" Jack felt his chilled heart hurt at their words as he tried to remain inaudible. "He's a danger to all of us and you know that!" His stomach lurched and the boy slowly backed away from the wooden door, wishing he had never heard any of the conversation as water clouded his sight and a vile taste filled his mouth.

His heart sinking, he slowly sat down on his bed, his mind slowly processing what he had just heard as his last hopes of being somewhat forgiven burned… He couldn't be with his new family. It wasn't safe for them to be around him anymore because of whatever was wrong with him… He placed his head in his hands, and tears filled his eyes. He tried to choke back whatever came, not wanting them to know he was awake. What would he say to them?

I'm sorry that I accidently tried to kill you because I didn't know what I was doing? Jack was disgusted with an excuse as lame and sorry as that one, even though it was true. Maybe Bunnymund was right…maybe he was crazy. He let out a sigh, causing the bed to produce a loud creak. It went unnoticed by the spirit, who felt the most horrific guilt bearing down on his conscious and heart. What was he?

OoooooooooooooO

Bunny could only stare at the boy, who looked ready to plan his own funeral. He couldn't seem to speak words as he looked to them in fear and surprise, his whole body shaking. The Aussie immediately regretted his heated words about wanting the child to leave. Maybe he was sick, or just confused. Maybe he was both. Then he felt shame as he realized every word he had spoken had landed on the troublemaker's ears.

North immediately pushed passed him, and strode over to the teen. Jack jumped to his feet, backing away from the massive man, almost knocking over his nightstand, which he steadied with trembling hands, never even looking at it. He was refusing to look North in the eyes as he shut his own tightly and braced himself, almost expecting to be hit. The Russian before him looked to him with what could only be sympathy. "Jack…" He took a step toward the eighteen year old, reaching out to him, but he paused when he saw the boy shrink away, Jack's arms stopping halfway from shielding his grimacing face as he turned his head away sharply. Was he that afraid of the man? …Of the others?

North frowned at his behavior, and spoke again, this time in a much softer tone. "It is alright, Jack. We are not angry with you…" He glanced at Bunny, saying the last sentence directly at the Australian. The boy shook his head, more tears falling at the man's forgiving words. "I'm so sorry…" he whispered, and Jack's voice broke as new self-loathing washed over his cowering figure. North instantly enveloped the teen in his arms, ignoring the boy's rigidness at the contact.

After a moment, Jack relaxed in his hold, burying his face into North's massive shoulder and clung to his shirt, his whole body raking with sobs. North sadly sighed as Jack Frost's muffled apologies came flowing. "I'm sorry, North! I'm so, so sorry! I didn't mean to, I swear!" His words were drowned out by his own shuttering breath. North silenced the boy, shushing him while he rubbed the back of his head. "It's okay, Jack…it's okay…" He looked to the door, where all the Guardians were watching silently. Giving Jackson a reassuring squeeze, he looked out the window of the room. The moon was shining brightly in the night sky, whispering to the man silently. North slightly nodded, understanding his request.

OooooooooooooO

"Jack, you can't run all the time!" Isabella Overland called out to her oldest son who was playing with his little sister, taunting her as he ran through the woods barefoot, waving his hands beside his head. Emma immediately giggled and ran after him, leaving their mother behind. She sighed in defeat, although she couldn't help but laugh out loud. She looked over her shoulder, rolling her eyes as she saw the other two children that had been behind her disappeared, of course following their big brother. She leaned against a tree, setting her Easter egg basket down on the grass, smiling gently.

Jackson Overland turned his head, making sure he had gotten their attention. The boy smiled wickedly as he ran up to a tree, hoisting himself up on the closest branch. He quickly got up a few feet, and crawled out to on the thickest branch. Emma ran up to it breathless and red faced, along with a smiling, blonde haired girl in a blue-striped dress, with excited blue eyes. She was his second sister, Allison. To Em's left, was a boy wearing Jack's hand-me-downs, with short brown hair and deep eyes, just like his. That was his only brother who looked up to him more than anyone: Ethan.

He looked at them with a smirk on his lips, and fell forward, swinging back and forth upside down on his legs, producing a gasp from the children and then praise. Emma shook her head, putting her hands on his hips as she called up to him, "Jack, get down from there!" Ethan pumped his fists in the air, cheering his older brother on, who replied with a hint of sarcastic laughter, "You sound just like Mother, Em!" Allison clapped her hands together at the sight of Jack swinging like a fool, just to entertain them. Grabbing onto the branch with both hands, he dropped to the ground very quickly, producing a worried sound from his little siblings.

He raised his hands above his head. "I'm okay. I'm fine. Relax!" The three small children sighed in relief and ran to him, each suggesting a game to play on the Sunday afternoon of Easter. "…How about this? I'm thinking of a number between one and ten. Whoever is the closest gets to decide." Allison, Emma and Ethan all nodded at the idea. Emma thought for a moment. "…seven!" Ethan smiled bright, showing the numbers on his fingers. "Three!" Jack looked to the girl who also held his heart, his voice grinning. "What about you, Ally?" She bit her lip, thinking really hard. "Ten!"

Jack laughed, and scooped the giggling girl up in his arms. "Allison got it! Ten's the number!" Ethan moaned and crossed his arms, sulking as he said, "Ally always gets the number right!" Emma also pouted for a moment. "Oh, come on guys!" Jack teased. "Don't be so cross with me! The last time I used that mind trick, both of you came to a tie, and all four of us played each of your games." The two slowly smiled back at him, indicating he had won them over. "Alright, then. Ally, what's the game you had in mind?"

Pitch watched the children run, playing hide-and-go-seek in the forest around them. He scowled as the oldest one that was sometimes called Jackson laughed when he caught his brother in his arms, who squealed in delight and tried to squirm free. "I hate looking through Frost's memories," he mumbled in disgust. That's all he had been doing since the bloody Sandman sent him back to his lair, destroying his only fearling of the Overland girl and sucking away his growing strength. The Boogeyman had been trying to create other family members that belonged to the spirit of winter fun, but it was draining his last few drops of energy.

He stared at the nightmare sand that was swirling in mid-air, the center of it producing the image from the teenager's mind that Pitch had recently gained access to. The memories were revolting to him: Loving and bright. …So full of hope. Pitch sneered at the simple idea of such a thing. He curled his fingers, sending a thick current away from the swirling sand and onto the floor, where it began to slowly stack upon itself. Soon the tools would be built, and he could use them to finish the next step of his plan, though it would leave him very weak.

He could sense Frost dreaming. It was the work of the Sandman, always getting in the way. He could see the dream too. There was Jack and his family sitting on the forest floor, each person pointing out the shapes of the clouds floating by. It made the Boogeyman sick. Gritting his teeth in agitation, he decided to personally go and destroy the dream on his own.

OoooooooooooooO

North sat on the edge of Jackson's bed, waiting for the boy to finally doze off. It had been pure silence for an hour and a half once North had calmed Jack down. The eighteen year old had almost passed out from having a panic attack. Turning to the door, he saw it was with a little help from the Sandman, who was looking at them sadly. Being very gentle, the Russian had lifted Jack onto the bed and pulled back the sheets and covers, carefully lowering him onto the mattress. He pulled them over the winter spirit, and silently walked over to the door. After turning off the light switch, he quietly let the boy dream.

Tooth was already waiting outside the door, but he didn't let her speak. "I'm going to talk to Man in Moon. This may turn into serious situation…" He hesitated, turning to Sandy. "Try your hardest to keep him asleep." Leaving three Guardians behind, he strode down to his office, not even grabbing a cookie from the numerous platters that were being pushed in front of him by small elves. Something was definitely off, and he needed to get down to the bottom of it. Reaching his study, North stepped inside, pad locking the door behind him and hurrying over to the wall where he hit a switch.

There was the faint sound of wheels turning, and chains moving. A small part of the ceiling opened up slowly as each separate panel of the window was pulled back by a machine. The room was bathed in the moon's light, and the Russian looked to it, listening to Manny's quiet words as he greeted the sphere in the sky. "It's been a while, old friend… We need to talk."

OooooooooooooO

Sophie shook her older brother's arm, looking around in the dark light. Jamie moaned back in reply, "What's wrong, Soph?" The four year old still held his arm tightly, and said, "Sophie can't sleep." Jamie looked to his alarm clock which read 1:27 a.m. He glanced at her for a moment, and pulled back his covers. He reached down and grabbed the girl gently, sitting her down beside him. "You can sleep with me."

The toddler smiled and hugged Jamie tightly. She released him and snuggled under the blankets on his bed. Jamie sighed. Sophie hadn't been sleeping well lately, so she usually came to him. Settling down, the boy closed his eyes, waiting to grow tired again.

But after being woken up, his mind began to think, keeping him awake. He thought about the Guardians and about Pitch Black. He especially thought about Jackson Overland Frost, who had seemed to disappear. The spirit had talked about visiting Jamie again, but as the snow melted away, so had his hopes of seeing the teen that was like his older brother. Summer break had suddenly become much more disappointing without Jack around.

Jamie frowned, and shifted his position so he was looking to the window, where the moon filled the night sky. What was happening out there? Jamie wished he could be able to hear MIM, just like his childhood heroes. But all normal people ever heard from Manny was silence, and that was all there would ever be. Closing his eyes, Jamie and Sophie Bennett fell fast asleep, each dreaming about their guardians that they missed. Mostly they dreamt of Jack Frost, hoping and praying that he was alright.

XxXxXx

But Jack wasn't alright. In fact, he was the exact opposite of alright. Because a few short hours after a sweet sleep, Jack's dreams changed. Darkness filled his mind, and tendrils of horror replaced the sweet happiness. The scene in his mind went from relaxing under the trees, pointing at the sky and having fun to watch Allison being mauled by a black bear with golden eyes that charged from the woods.

The dream tried to change, to return back to being positive, but something stronger seemed to make the good dwindle. All it did was cause more pain. Jack was tucking his brother in and telling him goodnight, heading to his own bed. Smoke suddenly filled the house, and the boy immediately raced back to retrieve Ethan, but the door was jammed shut. The only thing he could hear was his brother screaming on the other side, being burnt alive by the orange flames that had appeared out of nowhere.

It then switched to his mother and two sisters. The three were walking together at night to go find Emma's lost kitten, only to be kidnapped and murdered by outlaws and drunk men. Their bodies were found early the next morning, beaten and mangled. Jack had offered to find the feline himself, but the women insisted, and he simply let them go.

The next was in a church orchard, and Jack spied on a girl with black, curly hair with hazel eyes and freckles. Her name was Annie Price, and she had a soft spot for the trickster. In truth, Jack liked her a great deal, but he kept this to himself. He scared her by jumping down from a tree, producing a scream from her lips. He chased the laughing girl, and it was all simple fun until she tripped on a tree root in the ground, falling forward, and Jack was the only one to see Annie get impaled by a sharp branch that belonged to a chopped wooden stump. As he tried to save her life, she died in his arms, her blood staining his skin.

His father stood by the fireplace, a bottle in his hand as a young Jack of seven stared at him from the doorway, his mother not yet home from her daily errands. His father finally noticed his presence, and sauntered toward the little boy, staggering and smelling of whiskey. His father became enraged, throwing the beer bottle at his son, who crouched to the ground as it shattered on the wall, liquid and glass ran down to the floor. Before Jack could stand back up, possibly run to his mother, the man grabbed him by his hair, dragging him to the center of the room. The grown man unbuckled his belt and pulled it off. He was later thrown in jail for abuse and killing his little boy.

And the final nightmare was the worst. Bunnymund walked over to Jack, who was gripping a pair of skates tightly. "What do you got there, Frost?" Jack looked up. "Nothing…" For some unknown reason, he hid them behind his back. Bunny snatched them from the boy, despite him protests. As the Aussie examined them, his eyes lit up. "Oh, I know what these are… Their Emma's, aren't they?" Jack was silent, only wanting the skates back in his possession. But as he reached for them, Bunnymund pulled them back. "I don't think so."

"Seriously man, that's not funny. Hand them over." Jack stood to his feet, no humor in his voice as he extended his hand. But bunny just laughed. "Wait, answer me this. Your sis is dead, right mate?" Jack glared at him. "Yes…" The Easter Bunny looked to the skates as he held them thoughtfully. "So then, there's no point in keeping them right?" Jack's eyes went wide as Bunny ripped the leather skates apart, letting them fall to the ground. "Aw, crigey, did I do that?"

The spirit stood still, the sight of the torn memory laying on the ground while Bunny had innocent eyes. Jack lunged toward the male, raising his fist to punch him. "HOW DARE YOU!" Bunny moved out of the way, smirking as though it were a game. "Oh come on frostbite, is that all you got?" Jack ran forward, and locked his hands around his throat. He squeezed hard, and ice locked his grip in place. Bunnymund stopped smiling, and grimaced as he gasped for air, but Jack didn't let up in the slightest. "Eh, it was just a joke!" Jack watched him fall to the ground, choking. "It wasn't funny to me!" The boy roared.

And as the light left the Australian' eyes, his whole body froze over, and jack could see himself clearly. His reflection was nothing like himself. His skin was gray, almost like granite. His hair was charcoal, along with the colors of his clothes. The reflection's eyes were a haunting yellow. Frightened, the spirit looked down at his own self. He looked the same as he always had. But as he looked to the reflection in the ice, his image smiled at him even though he certainly was not. "Did I do that? …oops." It hissed.

XxXxXx

Jack sat up in bed, gasping for air as his clothes clung to him because of the sweat pouring down his skin. He looked around the dark room, ripping his sheets off the bed. He ran his hands through his hair as he grabbed his staff resting by the wall. "Just a stupid dream… You're okay… You're fine, Jack." He spoke lowly, letting out slow breaths. He only noticed the hot feeling in his stomach.

And before he knew it, his pale feet were running down the halls, which were deserted. He used the wind to make him move faster, and he finally reached his destination: the bathroom. He immediately ran inside, and fell to his knees, vomiting into the toilet. He barely had time to breathe before his stomach caved again and he threw up again.

It was surprisingly painful, and Jack felt his skin burning. But he opened his eyes, and gasped at what he saw. His vomit was blood. And the blood was pitch black. Jack felt so sick at the sight… Something dripped down his face. Confused, he reached up, wiping across his upper lip slowly. Pulling his hand back, he found it coated in black liquid. "Oh no…" He put his head between his knees, doing his best to stay in control of himself.

He had no idea what was happening anymore. High pitched ringing sounded in his ears, and it almost blocked out all complete sound. Except for the sound of a jingle bell. Jack looked up from his knees and turned his head to the door which was wide open, locking eyes with an elf. It was looking at him with a frightened expression, silent at what it had stumbled upon.

Jack rested his head on the toilet seat and grabbed his staff that laid to his left, his eyes closed. He placed the hook of it on the door, sending frost over the wood. Without a sound, he shut the door and the elf out. With a slight flick of his wrist, thick ice coated the walls and the exit, locking the spirit inside the small room. As snow began to fall from the now frozen structure, Jack could feel his back and shoulder's familiar scorching beginning to return and the worst part was he had to endure it alone.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Hey guys! Did you enjoy this chappie? Some of you may be confused with the introduction of Allison and Ethan. But for those of you who have seen the movie, you will know what I'm getting at. For those of you who don't, in the movie Jack regains his lost memories and remembers his family. I noticed not many people have acknowledge them as his family, and like his sister, their names were not mentioned. But I hope you guys liked it! And what's with Jack throwing up blood?! Got goose bumps typing it! Ugh! Anyway, Love your comments, it means the world to me! Chapter 13 coming soon, I promise. Be patient… more horrors to come…mwahahaha!


	13. Chapter 13: Too late

Winter's Illness

Chapter Thirteen: Too late

Jack saw her, walking along picking apples in the local orchard. A smile playing on his lips, he slipped into the shadows of the day, and the sweet scent of honey suckles flowed along with the summer breeze. Annie's hazel eyes searched for just the right apple, not to rotten and not to ripe. An apple that was perfect, just like her. Making sure she was oblivious to him, Jack crept behind the trees, his feet light.

Getting closer, he eyed her with curiosity. She was wearing a simple brown colonial dress, and her curly black hair was pinned away from her face. Her white cap was on the ground, along with a basket of red apples. It was too easy. He ran up to Annie Price, grabbing her cap and an apple or two. She stepped back startled as he immediately climbed a tree, looking down at her while she made since of what had just happened.

"Jackson!" She was agitated, but she was also smiling slightly. "Yes, Mrs. Price?" He bit into the juicy, red apple and smirked down at her. Annie put her hands on her hips, looking up to him. "Give me my cap back this instant!" The boy on the branch pondered this, but made no move to return the head dress. "Nah, I'm alright… You should feel the breeze up here, Ann! It's incredible!" The boy chuckled as she walked around the tall tree, huffing in defeat as she circled the tree.

"Get down from there!" She called up to him. "You are such a troublesome boy to be only 16 years old!" Jack scoffed, letting his arm dangle from the tree branch. "I'm about to be seventeen in two months. And you have to wait at least four!" She stuck her tongue out at him, but it produced a childish giggle. "I'm more mature than you!" Jack rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't be too sure about that!"

"Jack…" She whined, her voice pleading and tired. "Please give it back!" The teenager in the tree groaned. "You're no fun, Annie, you know that?" With a sigh, he slipped off the branch and slowly made his way to the ground. Jack turned to her, and she extended her hand out expectantly. Jack placed it in her palm. But before her fingers could get hold of the smooth fabric, he slid it away from her grasp.

"Hey!" She lunged for it, but the sixteen year old Jack pulled it farther away, hiding it behind his back. Annie stomped her foot, forgetting her age. "Come on, Jackson!" A mischievous glint appeared in his eyes, and a smirk etched itself on his face. "If you want it, come and get it!" Annie paused, giving a small grin of her own. All it took was Jack waving his hands by his head, the taunting raspberry she hated, and they were running together, laughing in the apple orchard.

OooooooooooooO

The room was shut off, and the air was thick. Jack's pale hands felt the frozen floor, his eyes heavy. They made his way to his head, which was pounding furiously. As his fingers chilled his hot forehead, Jack slowly opened his eyes. Darkness was the only thing visible as his bright blue eyes flickered. He was lying on the ground, enveloped in the shadows. He had been dreaming…had it been a dream? Jack could still smell the flowers in the air, though it was fading. He could still feel the texture of the girl's cap in his hands. He tasted the crisp apples in his mouth. Had it really been a dream?

Letting out a small groan, He pushed against his forehead, trying to block out the ache. The boy began to slide his way up the wall into a sitting position. But as his back came in contact with it, he sucked in air sharply as acid spread through his skin. He darted away from the wall, quickly using his wrist to muffle his surprised scream. Air coming in quick pants, he regained his breath as he looked to the wall and to himself. The familiar trembling began as the pain came in building waves.

"No, no, no…stop it!" He looked down at his shaking hands. He thrust them between his knees, trying to cease the tremors, but they didn't go away. His mind began to race, thinking about what had happened only a few hours before. His blood had been black…black! That wasn't normal, was it?! The nightmares…the elf…locking himself inside and not asking for help... Why did he do that anyway? Why did he…

Jack felt all of the blood drain from his face as his thoughts shot backwards. THE ELF. Jack gasped aloud, his hands flying to his head, shaking and all. He tugged at his white hair, his blue eyes widened in horror. "No!" Elves aren't bright! If it told the others…! Jack felt his chilled heart grow even colder. He needed to find that small worker!

The eighteen year old reached up to the sink counter, using all his strength not to fall over due to his swimming head. The darkness dimed his path and he suddenly ran into a frozen door. "Ow…" he hissed, the pain in his head only growing worse. His pale, thin fingers curled around the iced over door knob, the cool surface chilling his damp hands. It melted away, dripping down his wrists and soaking his hoodie sleeves. As the wall began to defrost, jack grabbed his staff that was lying against it, expecting for blue light to erupt from it due to his touch, and illuminate the darkness, but he had forgotten it was…broken at the moment.

Turning the brass knob, he slowly poked his head out into the hallway. It was too early for anyone to be up. Or at least that's what the teenager assumed at the moment. It was hard to tell time when you had spent the last few hours of your life locked inside a restroom. Not making a sound, he tip toed out into the corridor, his eyes searching for a small annoyance that could ruin everything.

OoooooooooooooO

Sandy was roused from his dreams of children, quit unexpectantly. His dreams were never disturbed… He sat up from his comfortable position in bed, which was crafted out of swirling gold. Sandy could sleep just about anywhere. But something inside him was stirring, and Sanderson knew it wasn't a good feeling that had awoken him. Something was not right. He sensed a nightmare in progress, and not the one that you dream…

OoooooooooooooO

"Where is our little actor going?" The king of nightmares leaned weakly against his throne of rock, staring at the floating dark grain in front of him, watching the boy who was stumbling down the corridors of Santoff Clausen, searching for something. It had taken a large sum of his power to make the poison progress to the point that he wanted it to be, but he had done it. It was already turning the boy's blood…well….pitch black. The Boogeyman smiled at the dark thought.

His granite-colored hands reached out to the black sand, and it twisted through his fingers. After that day, Jack's world would come crashing down. There would be no more hope in Jackson's mind, and with the dark venom in his blood, it wouldn't take very long for Pitch to crush his childish spirit. Pitch's cracked lips spread into a wicked smirk. No…not very long at all….

OoooooooooooooO

Jackson spotted the elf. It was the only one up that early, trying to snag a cookie from a jar on a high counter. It was dragging a stool loudly against the floor, but apparently, no one heard the noise. He knew it was the elf that had seen him only hours before, because when it glanced up, its eyes widened. It froze, slowly beginning to back away from the counter, the mission for a cookie forgotten. Then it ran out of the kitchen, its bell on its hat jingling furiously. "HEY!" Jack called after it. "Wait!"

Jack growled in frustration, chasing after the little worker. "Fringy! Uh, wait, your name starts with a D, doesn't it?!" He began to recite all of the names he could think of while running to catch the elf. "Duffle? Derry? Dollop?" Why did North have to give them such stupid names? Then the boy remembered. "Oh, Dingle!" The elf stopped momentarily at the call of its name, long enough for jack to scoop the squirming thing in its arms. "Ha! I got you!"

Looking over his shoulder, the teenager clamped his hand over the worker's mouth, just in case they could make noise. Because to be honest, he didn't know if they could or not. But he definitely knew that that elf would find some way to tell his "family" about whatever was wrong with him, and then they'd have one more thing to worry about: the new guardian who always screwed everything up. Jack stealthily ran out the kitchen, not making the wooden floors creak once. What he was about to do was low, even a little bit lower than usual. He ran to the nearest supply closet, and shoved the thrashing elf under the crook of his arm.

Without a moment's hesitation, he opened the wooden door, and shoved the elf inside. "Sorry about this, little guy." Holding his staff in his left hand, he swiped it over the elf, and the frost that erupted from the wood froze the helper solid. Jack sighed, frowning. "Don't worry. When this whole thing blows over, you'll be back to normal in no time. But as for right now…" He quickly closed the door. "You need to stay put." Pursing his lips, he flew down the hallway, trying to act as if nothing had happened.

OoooooooooooooO

Sandy stared at the sky as the moon was shining brightly down on Santoff Clausen, making the snow outside appear to be glowing in the pearly light. He couldn't get back to sleep after being woken up by the feeling that something was not quite right. The room temperature dropped a few degrees or so, and the Sandman turned to see a surprised Jack staring at him. The small man greeted him with a smile, but Jack was a little nervous to approach him. After all, the teenage boy had tried to kill the guardians, so he could understand why Jack was scared to speak. "H-hey Sandy… uh…what…what are you doing up so early?"

Sandy sent golden sand streaming above his head, spiraling into a picture of a restless figure tossing in bed. "Can't sleep, huh? …Me neither." Jack felt kinda bad about lying to Sandy, but it just came so easily, he didn't feel so guilty about not telling the truth. That's what happens after 300 years of practice. "The moon's big tonight… Manny must be restless too." This made Sandy silently laugh, and Jack relaxed a little bit. But that didn't mean his shoulder and back were done torturing him.

OooooooooooooO

It was deathly quiet as the two stared out of the window, both transfixed on the moon. It brightened the room, but it didn't keep the shadows away. Pitch Black slithered in the darkness, determined to do the task himself since the fearling he had depended on was demolished by dream sand. But what he was about to do was very difficult, and it was possible that his plan would fail. Then he would have to start over. He was set on taking control of Jack Frost and destroying his true threat: The Sandman. But this time, it wouldn't go wrong. Jack would come…after this, he would have no choice.

OoooooooooooooO

Sandy frowned, floating off the ground, turning away from the window. "Sandy?" Jack looked to the troubled man. "What's up? …Something wrong?" The guardian shook his head, and held up his finger to silence the child. His eyes drifted to the shadows. Then they widened as he realized the two were not alone. But he realized it too late.

OoooooooooooooO

Pitch Black formed behind Jack Frost, unnoticed by the two. As the Sandman floated away from the window, the nightmare king acted quickly. A small, thin dart the size of a toothpick flew from his fingertips as he flicked it with incredible speed. He watched anxiously as it embedded itself in the winter spirit's pale neck. Hiding his laughter, he sunk back into the dark. Now the poison would finally be enough to drive him over the edge…possibly to Pitch.

"Ah!" Sandy turned to Jack's surprised cry. He saw the child reach up, and yank something from the back of his neck. "What the heck…" Sandy got a good look at what was in his hand, and it definitely made his peaceful aura vanish. "Is that a DART?" The boy asked, staring at it with disbelief as he reached up to feel his neck again. It had a small bump that was beginning to swell. "How did tha-"

Pitch watched in pure delight as the Sandman eyed the eighteen year old nervously. Jack drew in air sharply, his sentence cut off as he went slack, his arm falling limply to his side. The dark disease inside him was taking control, and Jackson would be completely powerless to stop it. At least, as long as the session lasted, which at the moment wasn't very long at all. But for the task the Boogey man wished to be fulfilled, it was enough…

OoooooooooooooO

Jack felt something drilling its way through his bloodstream, igniting his veins. The horrible pain in his back intensified like fire was rippling through it, but He couldn't talk, or move. He couldn't see anything but darkness. He didn't feel like himself at all. What was going on? Jack didn't have a clue.

OoooooooooooooO

Sandy watched the boy go completely still. Then Jackson did something that scared the Sandman out of his wits. He lifted his head up slowly, eyes closed, and smirked. But this was not Jack's care-free, I-do-what-I-want smirk. It was evil, and it did not belong to the winter spirit's character one bit. And then Jack Frost opened his eyes. They were a haunting, bright yellow. And if looks could kill, Sandy knew that one certainly would.

Then he understood that he needed to get the others…now. But he never got the chance. As he gathered a cloud of gold dust in an instant, flying toward the open door, a thick, sharp wedge of ice stuck itself in the wall, blocking his path. "Where do you think you're going?" Jack's voice held a danger in it and Sandy tried to reach the door again, only to be blocked by more hail and ice. He faced the teenager, who wasn't at all himself. "Oh come on, Sandy! I'm just starting to have some fun…"

The Sandman glared at the boy, knowing that this was not the child he knew. Jackson Overland Frost was not standing before him, trying to impale the small man with ice shards. Sandy had no choice but to defend himself, no matter how much he hated doing it. The only thing that convinced his Jack was not…Jack, was his glowing eyes. That was the only feature that signaled Jack was gone.

He sent rocketing waves of dream sand, destroying anything that the boy shot at him. The sand formed into golden whips that Sandy grasped in his hands, his eyes angry. But the poisoned Jack was very intelligent, and he out smarted the Guardian constantly. Jackson frosted every golden grain, watching it freeze in mid-air, slowly collecting around the man in front of him. Before Sandy knew it he was trapped in glowing flecks of frozen sand, creating a dome like structure around him.

Jack smiled. "You really like to dampen my spirits, don't you? Always wanting to do things the hard way…" The teenager strode forward, hanging his staff over his shoulder. Using his other hand, he touched the ice imprisonment, and it melted immediately. The sandman extended his hands to blast grain into the poisoned spirit, but Jack froze them to the wall without even pausing. He continued on his path, a collection of ice building up to a thin tip on his free hand.

He squatted, so Sandy and him were eye to eye. "Hmmm... Look at you…it's pathetic, really." The small guardian refused to be afraid, holding his head up high. But that composure didn't last long. Jack smiled at him, sarcastically sympathetic. He instantly lodged the ice shard into the Sandman's stomach, and he didn't even waver at stabbing his friend. "Oops…" Jack clicked his tongue in mock surprise and disappointment. "Did I do that?"

Sandy looked to the teenager with wide eyes, and Jack tilted his head up at the man, his golden eyes practically shining as he pulled his hand out of the cold ice, but he let it stay there. The ice holding Sandy's hands to the wall dripped away, and the man winced as he began to slide. But he noticed something in the teenager made Jack catch him, and Jack held Sandy in his arms, but he was still not himself. The chunk of ice burned, and blood began to drip onto the wooden floor of Santa's Workshop. And it was at this sight, that the effect the dart had on Jack Frost went away. Jack gasped as he felt it being sucked out of him, and he discovered he could talk. As Sandy looked into his eyes, he saw the yellow flicker and fade into the normal, frosty blue that belonged to the child of winter.

Jack took a shuttering breathe in, not aware of what he had just done. Not until he looked down. "SANDY!" The boy's breathing grew rapid as his eyes flickered to the impaled spot on the guardian's stomach. "….what have I done?" He whispered to himself, tears forming in his eyes. Jack's tried to choke back the sob that was trying to escape his mouth. "It's okay, you're okay. Your fine..." He felt a small hand on his arm. Looking over, he saw the Sandman nodding to him gently, as if saying, "It's alright". But when the light left the Guardian of Dream's eyes, it definitely was not alright.

"No….no, no, no! Wait!" He clutched onto the man's golden toga tightly, hot tears spilling down his cheeks as he sobbed into his lifeless friend's body. "Come back! I'm sorry, Sandy! Please! Please, I'm sorry!" His only answer was silence. Jack let go of sandy as he felt hot liquid on his fingers. Brining his hands into the moonlight, he discovered they were red. Jack's stomach lurched at the sight.

"Jack, vhat is vith all the noise?" "Why are you up this early?" "Eh, mate would you keep it down!? Some of us are trying to…" Jack's head whipped around, to see Bunny, Tooth, and North all staring at him in horror. He had woken them up…and he knew he could never apologize for what had just happened. He instantly was on his feet, and bunny walked toward him, and the teen hoped he could explain. But he didn't have to. Well, he didn't really get to. Bunnymund punched him in the face before he could speak, knocking him to the ground. Jack looked to him with wide, blue eyes.

Bunnymund only snarled, his fists shaking out of rage. "You're dead." That was the thought Jack had, signaling it was his queue to get up off the ground. As he stood to his feet, he only got hit again, and this time even harder, but he didn't fall back down. Instead, he regained his footing, and wiped the blood off his mouth.

He didn't move. The Easter bunny ran to him again, ripping the boy forward by grabbing his plain hoodie, pulling him up to his face. They were eyes to eye. And Jackson could see that tears were in the Pooka's eyes. "You're not a Guardian. Not anymore." Jack felt his heart break, and couldn't breathe right. He didn't deserve to be one, not after what he did. But…he had spent three hundred years trying to find acceptance, a family. Now that he had just got one, he had done what he did best. Ruin it all.

Bunny looked to North to confirm it, who had done nothing to stop Bunny's actions from playing out. North looked to the ground, refusing to look at the two. "It is final." Jack wanted to beg North, the man who was like a father to the child, to let him stay, but he had no right to speak. The Aussie forced the eighteen year old to look at him, holding Jack in a fiery glare as he spat, "Get out, before I kill you." Then Bunny shoved him to the ground, and turned away from him.

Jack felt tears running down his face again, and he didn't try to hide them. He scrambled to his feet again, and walked away from the guardians, a lump in his throat. He thought for a moment, and used the wind to fly up to the high, big window he and Sandy had been gazing through moments before. With the end of his staff he busted a window pane, and climbed through without looking back. He didn't use the door. He didn't want to look at Phil, or the elves, or and of the Guardians. He just wanted to be alone. He was a murderer.

IiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiI

This hurt to write! Oh my gosh! I had feels! Hope you guys enjoyed! New chapter soon….ugh whats happening to Jack? I don't even know…


	14. Chapter 14: Voices

Winter's Illness

Chapter fourteen: Voices

Jack felt the wind stinging his face, flying as fast as he could away from that place. Tears flowed from his eyes, and he wiped them away roughly with his arm. Images kept on flashing inside his head of Sandy, Bunny, North, Tooth. His face burned from being hit. Jack could hear voices inside his head, and no matter how hard he tried he couldn't shut them out.

"Now look what you've done, Jackson"

"You're a killer"

"A liar"

"You'll never be forgiven"

"You're a monster"

"Such a good actor, aren't you?"

"You've always been dark"

"You're not a Guardian"

"We told you they'd never accept you"

The voices hissed and hurt him like a wound. They grew louder, and louder, and louder. He squeezed his eyes shut, and covered his ears. "SHUT UP!" He screamed, his voice echoing into the still air. "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" He felt the wind die down around him, and he sank onto a thick pine branch, sobbing endlessly. He slid down the dark trunk and sat down with a thud, his head hanging. He drew his knees up to his chest, his whole body shaking as he ran his hands through his silvery white hair. "Just…shut up…" He begged.

The wind seemed to laugh at him, and he felt so much self-loathing he couldn't even breathe right. His back burned more than ever, and he fought back a whimper. What was WRONG with him?! Was he mentally insane? He could just picture the Sandman's golden eyes dying out. It made him cry even harder. "It wasn't my fault!" He cried, covering his face. "It WAS NOT my fault!"

"You're a murderer."

He shook his head, refusing to accept his actions. "YOU'RE LYING!" He yelled, his voice full of pain.

"You're evil on the inside, and you know it."

Jack's chest caved in as he shuttered, thinking of what had happened moments ago. "You're wrong! You don't know anything!"

"Are we? Or are you lying to yourself?"

OoooooooooooooO

The voices sounded vaguely familiar to him, though Jack was to upset at the moment to care. He didn't know that it was the illness inside him that was allowing the King of Nightmares to torture Jackson inside his head. The deathly acid had progressed to the point where Pitch Black could talk to him with ease, though it was slightly draining. He was using the voices to scare the boy and make him feel guilt, although it wasn't getting to the teen like he wanted it too. Jack wasn't listening clearly enough. He'd just have to make him.

Pitch glanced up at the tree the boy was in. Jack had flown down all the way into Michigan in less than a few minutes. The sky was clouded, and darkness consumed everything, even the snow was not visible in the night. The boogeyman smiled slyly to him, even though Jackson couldn't see the Nightmare King. Soon Jack would come. He would come before he became too sick, even if he wasn't aware he was doing it. It was that choice, or he'd die. Either way was fine with the Boogey man.

Pitch had planned it all out from the beginning. The poison that was slowly reaching the boy's still heart was sucking the strength out of Jack, bit by bit. It was destroying him, thus the black blood. Soon, he would hallucinate, and the fun would truly begin. He could manipulate his thoughts.

The Boogey man licked his lips as he craved to see Jack in anguish after ruining his whole task three months ago. With the teen's body slowly dying away, Pitch could enjoy watching the boy suffer slowly. And the sweet, cruel fear that would cascade off Jackson Overland Frost would give him the strength he needed to destroy every last one of the Guardians and finish his revenge. It was too tempting. He could toy with him until Jack came to him willingly…or by force. Whichever way was perfectly alright with him.

He felt himself trickle into shadow, and he scaled up the tree. His dark figure loomed over Jack Frost, who did not notice him at all. "Poor Jack…" He whispered. "Poor, poor winter child." Jack looked up from the crook of his arm, hearing the voice on the dead breeze. "What have you done now?" The eighteen year old shook his head and took a deep breath.

"No. No, I'm not listening to you. I'm not crazy. I'm fine." Jack pulled his plain blue hood over his head, trying to block Pitch out. Pitch laughed lightly and simply ripped the hood off Jack's head. The child sucked in air sharply, and scrambled away from the tree trunk, going as far out onto the thin branch as possible. "Is that what you tell yourself? That you're 'fine'? Oh, come on, Jack! You don't honestly believe that do you?" Jack turned his head left and right, his eyes wild. "Who are you!? Get out of my head!" The king scoffed. "You brought this on yourself. You've finally gone insane..."

"No, I haven't! I'm perfectly…f…fine." Jack's sentence trailed off into the darkness. He fought back the moister forming in his eyes again. Pitch grinned wickedly at the successful conversation. Jack had no hope. Not even the slightest for himself. The fear would take over, and he would succumb to the dark. Then it would be so easy for Pitch Black to take control. It was all too easy.

OoooooooooooooO

The soft glow of candles lighted the room, and bells rang to create a tinkle of melodies. The three guardians held hands in a circle, although this time Jack was not present. The yetis were quiet in the back, no one uttering a word. Jack Frost had done this? It was hard to believe a child was capable of such a heartless thing. Toothiana silently cried along with the others, and they all held on to each other reassuringly, not daring to let go.

No one talked of how the blood was scrubbed of that very floor, or how the ice still remained, jagged and dangerous. There were no words. Just pain and the hurting of hearts. It didn't seem real. Why had this happened? Why had they allowed it to happen?

North turned away, covering his eyes as he breathed deep. Bunnymund cleared his throat softly and wiped away the moister in his eyes. Baby Tooth hugged her momma tightly on the neck, and Tooth held her with two, shaking hands. BT took her tiny hands and brushed away Tooth's tears, who gave a soft, but sad smile. It was just what Pitch had wanted. The Guardians were broken.

North glanced at the large, paned window, where not too long ago Jack had sat, tears in the child's eyes as he created frost figures on the glass. He had blamed himself…he had felt so much pain. So why would he do it on purpose? Santa was in too much anguish to think much about it. Someone so young and innocent murdering someone was very difficult to picture.

Phil shuffled up to the man, and addressed him hesitantly. "Thrawgun jut la…" "No…" He whispered. "We won't punish him…he's…he's been through enough." Santa cleared his throat. "I don't know vat happened…but I think its best just to let it be." Phil nodded, and turned to go. He hesitated, and gave his boss a hug. North smiled sadly, and patted him on the shoulder when he ended the embrace. "Thank you, phil."

Bunnymund exhaled and closed his eyes, regretting every rude remark he'd ever said to the Guardian of dreams. Sandy had always seemed to be the one that paid. This was the second time he had died because of Jack. Bunny remembered hitting the murderous teen, and he admitted it had pained him to do it. Jackson's eyes had been so full of confusion and hurt.

But…Jack had killed his friend, and he couldn't have let that slide. He had been so angry…he had hit Frost so hard his knuckles bled. That part was a very minuscule victory. He actually felt kind of bad about it later. He deserved it, Bunny thought heatedly. He deserved every minute of it. So why did he let him go? Why did he let Jackson run away?

OoooooooooooooO

"Jack?" The boy opened his eyes at the sound of his name. The sound was so pure, and beautiful. "Jaaaack!" He gasped aloud. That voice made his heart almost beat. He looked around the tree, tearing his hood off his head, his eyes searching for the child-like laughter. He jumped from the high branch, and used the wind to break his fall and landed in the snow.

"That voice… I know that voice…" It was like deja vu. Only this time Baby Tooth wasn't there to warn him. "Jaaaack!" He got to his feet, shaking white off his shoulders absent-mindedly. The spirit flew forward, holding his staff tightly in his hands. It was impossible. It had been 300 years since…that day on the ice. The possibility was practically nonexistent. But being sick, and in shock from the killing of Sanderson, it never even crossed his mind that he had heard that same voice before, and it had led him somewhere he didn't want to go.

OoooooooooooooO

The three sat by the large fire, silent as their hearts ached. They missed the Dream Guardian…they secretly missed the spirit of winter also. No one spoke, and it was so quiet a pin could have fell and you would have heard it. The flames in the hearth crackled and glowed, but none of them felt the warmth. It did not make them feel cozy, or tired. They were wide awake.

The sky outside was dark, so the fire was the only source of light. All eyes were dry and their light empty and drained. Losing someone you loved had a colossal effect on one's heart, after all… The Guardians simply stared at the red and orange flames licking up the air as the hot cocoa in their hands grew cold. A chill suddenly filled the room. Tooth shuttered, getting Goosebumps as her feathers ruffled.

Bunnymund's eyes darted to the window, which had blown open by an instant wind that hadn't been there before. North looked up from the fire, standing up immediately. He felt something horribly wrong. Something was happening. The shadows seemed to grow, wrapping the group in a dark cold. "Pitch…" North whispered, glaring at the pair of yellow eyes that rested in the blackness.

OoooooooooooooO

"Jack?" He stumbled forward, catching his breath. Every time he thought he'd gotten close to the source, the high, melodic voice faded farther away from his grasp. "Wait!" He choked, out of air. He had been chasing it for more than two hours. He felt he needed to reach it. It was that, and as each minute passed by, the more painful moving was. His lips were cracked, and his ears were ringing. The snow around him was actually cold, since he was a child of the snow, it was muted usually.

It turned into a pair, adding another soft, bell voice to it. But that only made Jack's heart crave to find it even more. The sounds were so important, he needed to find them. He had to. Jack locked his jaw and trudged forward, ignoring the growing fire in his throat.

And then, something very strange happened. It was as if Jackson had stepped over an invisible line; a boundary. His shoulders became heavy, as if weight was added to it. He couldn't see straight. Gasping, he fell to the ground, his head aching. He had entered into the dark part of the woods. He was in the edge of his hometown: Burgess, exactly where the Boogeyman was urging him to go. He was so close to reaching the boy. Just a few more miles, and Jackson Overland Frost would be in his cold, dead grasp.

Shaking his head clear, Jack got to his feet, breathing hard. Stepping into Pitch's territory, in the state the boy was currently in, was very dangerous. It made the Poison serge deeper into his system; making the sickness progress much more quickly than if he was somewhere entirely different. But he didn't know exactly where he was. He was simply following the children's voices. And he had a feeling he was getting closer and closer to finding the source that was creating them.

OooooooooooooO

"Hello, Santa." Pitch laughed jokingly. "What? No presents for me this year? Or am I still on that naughty list of yours?" He could see the hidden surprise and disbelief in the man's eyes. He smirked, his eyes blazing. "How many times must I tell all of you?" The King of Nightmares seeped out of the shadows, forming right in front of the Elder Guardian, growing stronger from their hidden fright. The wind that had blown in carried his faint whisper of dark delight. "No one can kill fear"

OoooooooooooooO

Jack was about to drop from discomfort when he looked up. Standing in a clearing, was his brother and other sister. He ran to the two children when he saw them, recognizing them immediately as they came into sight. He embraced his siblings in a weak hug, smiling wide. He pulled away and held each of their small faces in his hands. "I can't believe you're here…" Allison and Ethan Overland smiled, crystal tears forming in their eyes. "We missed you, Jackson!" Ally cried, throwing her arms around him. Jack smiled at her words and hugged her tight, allowing his sister to burrow into his chest. "I missed you two more!"

"Not possible!" She giggled. He chuckled. "Yes, it is." Jack tapped her nose, making her laugh as she made him forget his troubles. He didn't remember any part of being manipulated by the same black sand into almost killing "Pitch" and his "fearlings". He couldn't recall the Boogeyman ever being there. All he remembered was waking up in North's frozen arms, which were his fault. He turned to Ethan, who laughed. "And you!" He grinned, grabbing the fearling in his arms, tickling "Ethan" mercilessly. "You're getting so big!"

Jack couldn't think right at the moment, and his thoughts were muddled by Ethan's large, brown eyes and Ally's bright smile. The girl giggled, her cheeks flushing a healthy, soft pink. Jack felt his breath leave for a moment as he looked to her living form. He couldn't believe he was looking at them…really looking at them. Ethan snuggled in his arms, and looked up at his older brother fondly.

Being dazed from the sand, the eighteen year old didn't know they were tools of The Nightmare King. He didn't even think of the fact that they had been dead for over three centuries. As Jack laughed along with them, his pain forgotten, the two stood up, held hands, and ran past him, who chuckled, "Where are you two going?" They called back to him, "Come on, Jackson! Emma's waiting for us!"

Jack smiled and pushed himself off the grass and snow. "Wait for me!" He shouted after them, his normal, old smirk etched in his features. But as he trailed behind him, the two seemed to disappear as the woods became dark and darker, and they sunk into the black forest. Jack frowned, searching for the two kids. "Ally?" Jack walked forward and peered into the shadows. "Ethan?"

OooooooooooooO

Tooth looked up nervously from her hands, where baby tooth was shaking with fright. She held the small one close, telling her with her eyes not to be afraid of the intruder in the room. All he could do was give bad dreams. But of course, as the room became tense, Pitch was able to do much more than that. The king looked to them with curiosity, his eyes having an evil glint. "Where is that winter brat of yours? Kick him out all ready?"

Bunnymund grew stiff, looking Pitch straight in the eye. "Why do you care?" Pitch laughed, and sighed. "You know something? …I really don't like you." The Boogey man continued to grin, even though there was a frightening amount of danger in his seductive voice. "And where is that Sandman? I'd better leave if he's around!" He faked fear as he looked around with scared eyes. As the Guardians looked to the ground, he stood straighter and chuckled. "Oh, wait. That's right. He's dead, isn't he? Well, that just makes my job a lot easier!"

North's eyes met his, and Santa Claus asked, "Why are you here, Pitch?" The boogeyman smirked, walking around the room. "Just wondering where Jack is. Probably already in trouble... Well, I guess that's my fault if he is." Tooth looked to him, her voice shaking, but not with anger. "What do you mean?" The boogeyman sighed, his granite colored fingers trailing along the walls, leaving molded, stain spots everywhere they touched. "Actually, I guess all of you are to blame. "

OooooooooooooO

Jack cautiously stepped forward, not sure where his family had disappeared to. "Guys?" But he kept on walking, not like he could stop. Something evil was in the darkness, and it was drawing the child. Then he saw her, standing alone in the fog. "Emma?" She turned toward him, her brown-gold eyes beckoning him. "Come play with me Jack!" She called, giving a girlish giggle.

He gave a half smiled, and walked toward her, relieved. "Hey! Where are Ethan and Allyson?" Em smiled. "They went down there!" She pointed to the ground, and there was a large, deep hole. Jack grabbed the top of his staff, frowning. "…Down there?" She nodded, and extended her dainty hand. "Will you come with me? I want to show you something!" The words sounded so familiar…and this place felt the same. Something about that hole… He didn't trust it at all. But he trusted his sister.

"S-Sure Em…but…uh…it's just…I'm not sure we should." She laughed at this, as though Jack had told a joke. "Come on Jackie, don't be silly!" She pulled on his hands, her face eager. "Come with me!" After pausing, he nodded, grinning hesitantly, and he wasn't positive it was the best thing. But Emma was probably right. He was just being silly.

She wrapped her arms around his waist, and they flew down into the hole, although Jack couldn't shake the feeling something was off. As his bare feet touched the ground, he immediately felt the pain set in. He bit his lip, trying to hold back the wave of nausea that was battering inside his body. Emma smiled, pulling the boy along, each step making him get worse. "They are just down here." Jack stumbled along, closing his eyes in hopes of battling the burn.

Each step caused the sounds to echo off the walls, and it became very dark. The air grew thick, and Jack found it hard to breathe. But his sister seemed fine, tugging the stumbling teen further into the trap. He tried to stop, but Emma's grip was like a vise, and she refused to let go. "Okay, Jack! We're here!" Jack opened his watery eyes, his voice hoarse. "Where?"

She didn't answer, but let go of his hand. It was red from her not-so-soft hold. He looked at her, his voice hesitant. "Emma, are you alright?" She looked to him over her shoulder, and said in a chilling voice, "Let's play a game, Jack…" He watched, frozen in place as she turned to him in a flash, her eyes glowing bright yellow. Her skin peeled off bit by bit, and rotted away, along with her pearly, white teeth. Her soft, brown hair fell to the floor, and her face eroded away.

It was at that moment, the poison infected sight wore off completely, and he was fully aware of what was in front of him. He remembered "Emma" being there, in Santoff Clausen, and made him attack his friends. He remembered the dreams, and the pain. "You…it was all because of you…" The form that now had churning sand replacing it's skin, looked at him, eyeless. "You tricked me…You're not my sister." He tried to move but his feet seemed to weigh a ton.

OooooooooooooO

North set his jaw, his patience gone. "Vat are you saying, Black?" Pitched turned to him, tilting his head curiously. "Wait…You didn't blame him for the death of the little man…did you?" Of course he knew the answer, but he wanted to see it dawn on them. North's cutting glare immediately vanished. "What did you do?" The man sneered at them, slithering back into the dark. "He's mine now." Tooth gasped, and Bunny jumped to his feet, his paw flying to his boomerangs. North looked into the shadows, his fear showing in his voice as he yelled, "VAT DID YOU DO?!"

OoooooooooooooO

The fearling slowly disintegrated, sand grain by sand grain, onto the floor. Jack was truly scared now. Getting the feeling back in his legs, he gripped his staff tight, and ran away from the fearling. He slammed into something hard. Looking up, he saw something that made what little breath he had inside leave him.

Pitch Black smiled wickedly down at the spirit, who was stiff with fear. "Hello Jack. So nice of you to visit." Jack raised his staff, but the action was not quick enough. With a single flick of his fingers, Pitch sent a black shard of horror at the sick teen, sending Jack flying into the wall. As the stone cracked with the massive blow, Jack's eyes went into his head, and he collapsed to the ground, groaning. The Nightmare king laughed. "You truly are pathetic."

He glared at the boy, and with newly found strength, made an invisible force crush down on him with so much force, Pitch made the stone beneath Jack crumble. Jack Frost moaned, his body practically crushed. The King raised his eye brows, amused, and looked to his hands with new found interest. He walked over to the teenager who was weakly trying to get up off the ground, and glanced down to him. "Look at our little actor…" He grabbed the end of the staff on the ground, and slipped it out of Jack's hands.

"Let's see how much you can take before you break, Jackson." He paused, allowing himself a bemused grin. Then he snapped the staff in half. Jack's eyes immediately shot open, and he fell back to the floor, a scream escaping from his lips. Jack let out a shuttering breath, and lost consciousness, becoming limp on the dusty floor. Pitch looked to him with surprise, and weighted the broken staff in his hands. Then after a moment, he tossed them into the darkness. "I guess it won't take very long to find out, will it?"

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

^(0)^ OMG WHAT HAVE I DONE


	15. Chapter 15: Weak

Winter's Illness

Chapter Fifteen: Weak

The first thing Jack was aware of was that it was dark. It was cold. And he was scared. He thought he heard water churning around him, and he couldn't breathe. It was freezing! Jack couldn't seem to be able to move, his limbs numb with chill, and so was his heartbeat. But it felt as though something was lifting him up.

A light illuminated the shadowed place, and Jack opened his eyes as it shined on him. His vision was blurry; the water was coloring everything tinted blue, so he shut them. He kept moving forward, until he pushed against something hard. Whatever it was, it was cold against his face, but it easily broke apart as he rose. Jack felt the water drip down his brow, and his clothes become dry. His eyes fluttered open and he gasped in a breath of the chilly night air, his eyes wide.

Jack gasped as he awoke, sucking in the thick atmosphere around him. The slightest movement lit a fire that blossom in his chest and back, causing his eyes to fill. His vision blurred, and his ears rang. He moaned lightly, his body sore. What had happened? He couldn't remember…

His sapphire eyes flickered around him, moving faster than he was. It was pitch black, where ever Jack Frost was, and he felt cold metal beneath him. He felt heavily drugged, although that wasn't exactly the case. He was just sick, and apparently captured. His pale, fingers that had blood dried on the skin slowly moved across the ground, searching for his staff but finding thick bars trapping him instead.

Jack let out a strangled gasp. His staff! He struggled to sit upright, his mind now racing. His breathing labored, he ground his teeth, ignoring the pain and frantically searched in the dark. Jack felt an empty pit in his stomach as he turned on his knees, feeling for the branch of wood. But he realized it wasn't there. "Looking for something?"

The child of frost growled at the voice, staring into the gray face of his enemy. Jack instantly lifted his hand, sending a bright blast of ice into the dark. The figure instantly vaporized as the cold went right through him, weak and poorly aimed. Pitch chuckled at Jack's failed attempt. "Being trapped isn't a very hospitable thing, now is it…forgive me." His smile was wicked.

"But there is no need to be afraid, Jack. I'm not going to hurt you...not just yet." "Afraid?" Jack scoffed half-heartedly, his strength all but gone as he tried to look stronger than he was. "I'm not afraid of you." But even as he spoke it, his voice trembled slightly. Pitch grinned. "Haven't we been through this before?" The dark king circled the boy, who followed Pitch with his eyes. "We're going to have some fun, Jack." Pitch declared, black humor in his voice. "Not like you have any choice…"

Jack remained silent, cautious of the man just behind the metal bars of the suspended cage. The teenager drew in his limbs tighter as sand began to swirl around him. "There's no need to hide your fear." Pitch said lightly. "I'm finally starting to look like myself again, don't you agree?" His yellow eyes glowed. Jackson held up his head, meeting his cutting glare even though he was positively terrified of it.

OoooooooooooooO

North unsheathed his pair of twin blades, his face hard. "I knew something vas wrong! I told you nothing vas right!" He spat out the words as he paced back and forth, his eyes blazing. Tooth put her hand on his tattooed arm, but he shook his head. "It was our job to protect him." "And it still is…" She said, patting his massive wrists. "Everything is going to be okay." North sighed, his polar blue eyes meeting hers.

"He needs our help, Toothie… I feel it." He closed his eyes, trying to calm himself as Tooth looked to him with something close to dwindling hope in the Russian. "Then he'll help him. He's our family, North. Jack will be fine." The massive man cleared his throat, and shook his head roughly, ripping away from Toothiana's grasp, speaking quickly. "But he is with Boogey man! Pitch is stronger than we thought! If he has Jack in his grasp, what makes you think Jack is safe?" Tooth was silent, unable to calm her family member and friend. Baby Tooth glanced down from her headdress, and her mother met her gaze. Tooth could hear her sprite's voice in her conscious, and a small conversation about Jack engaged, each voicing their thoughts and fears.

But the pair's silent chat was interrupted by a thick Australian accent. "Are you actually caring about the kid…after what he did? Are you serious!? Honestly, listen to yourselves!" The three sets of eyes in that room flew to the bunny. North looked to him with confusion. "Vat are you talking about, Bunnymund?" The Aussie walked forward, a scowl chiseled on his face. "What am I talking about? Have you forgotten what Jack did to us? Crigey, I mean look at what he did to SANDY! Mate, the pale brat and that rotten twig of his can decay in a musty cage of Pitch Black's, for all I care!" Tooth glared at him, her voice sharp as a knife. "Bunny…Jack is a part of this family. If you remember in that small, self-serving brain of yours, he helped you be visible again. You care about him, even if you won't admit it! And if I'M being honest, you're acting less of a Guardian than he has, so you have no room to speak!"

North's eyes that were normally filled with wonder were filled with utter surprise. "Toothiana!" She sighed in frustration, cutting him off. "Well, it's the truth!" The Easter Bunny sent her a warning glance. "Why are you sticking up for Frost? You only like him because of his stupid, 'sparkling' teeth! That's the only reason you are protecting him. " He sneered, his temper very high. Santa's voice snapped at the Aussie. "Enough! Both of you are acting like children!" Both fell silent at the man's sharp, biting scold.

"Now I'm not sure if you two have forgotten during your discussion, but we have serious situation! Jack is in trouble." Santa turned to Bunnymund, poking his thick finger into the Aussie's grey pelt. "YOU," he whispered fiercely, "better get hold of yourself before I make you. We are going after Jack Frost. ALL OF US. Do you understand, Bunny?" The Guardian of Hope scoffed, and backed away from the others. "Find him yourself. I'm done with Snowflake." It was North's turn to scowl. "Fine. You stay. Come, Tooth. Our Jack is in danger." The Easter Bunny rolled his eyes and walked away from the two, muttering under his breath. But his anger was momentarily broken by Santa's faint whisper that his highly trained ears picked up. "And here I thought you were Guardian of Hope."

OoooooooooooooO

Jack scrambled away from the dark strings, each burning his skin like a flame. Every time he'd get a good distance away, a shadow would devour the ground, and as soon as he'd run forward, Jack would find himself falling. Pitch's laughter followed Jackson wherever he went. "Come now, Jack! Why don't you stay for a while, hmm?" Of course he had no choice. Jack couldn't make it a few feet without being dragged back by black sand, slamming into a stone wall, or stumbling because of how drained he was becoming. The longer he tried to run, the more fearful and tired he became, and the more delight he gave Pitch.

Without his staff in his hands, and dwindling strength, the odds weren't exactly in his favor at the moment. A coil wrapped around his ankle, and Jack yelped as it began to singe his pale skin. As it began to pull him back, the young guardian extended his shaking hand, and froze it solid. With shuddering cracks it fell to the floor. Jack felt weak even by the small action. He swayed a moment before his head cleared. The Boogeyman chuckled from the darkness. "Getting tired, are we?"

Jack scowled, sick of Pitch Black's stupid game. What was the point of all this? Was it to wear him down, or get on his last nerve? What he really needed was his staff. If Jackson had that in his hands, he'd be long gone. Jack felt the hairs stand up on his neck as he blocked a chill. Around him were fearlings of different shapes and sizes, smelling his fear. Breathing hard, his hands became limp at his sides, useless and aching. Jack winced as the hoses charged, their black bodies leaving trails of swirling sand.

OooooooooooooO

Bunny sat in the grass of the warren, hard in thought as he idly watched new eggs pop out of beautiful, multi-colored flowers. I'm right, he thought stubbornly. The rest are just too stupid to see it. Why did they even care about Frost, anyway? The Aussie rolled his eyes. Just because snowflake was a child, he got a free pass. Destroys Easter, it was as if it never happened. He gets in the way of everything, and the other's excuse is "Oh, he's just a kid." Jack kills the Sandman and gets himself kidnapped, his no-longer-family rushes to save him. Why couldn't North and Tooth see it like he did?

All Jack Frost brought was trouble and made things difficult. But did the others care? Not the least bit. Breathing out a sigh, he stood, sniffing the air with his pink nose. He could smell the old flavor of the ruins placed in his paradise and the sweet nectar in the flowers. The soft breeze that carried through his gray pelt made him smile. Little did he know what his friends were going to get into…

OooooooooooooO

Tooth sat inside the sleigh willingly, even though she could fly. North snapped the reins sharply to get the deer to move faster, and the wind blew harder. Her mind raced, and she ached to find Jack. What if he was in trouble? What if Pitch was hurting him? Her heart pounded as the Tooth Fairy's mind raced.

"Hurry…Hurry…" North urged to the deer, his voice worry filled. The sleigh veered down into Virginia, and they could make out the town of Burgess from the sky. "How far are we?" Tooth shouted above the roaring wind. Santa replied over his shoulder, "Only few minutes till we reach town!" Baby Tooth flitted around the large vehicle chirping franticly, her small wings a blur. Even The fairy's little helper was worried too. At least she was not the only one.

OoooooooooooooO

The impact was something Jack could never have braced himself for. The scream of agony that echoed in the stony prison died away as Jack slammed into the wall, falling to the ground. His blue hoodie shredded and his skin split, he fought to get back up on two feet as his senses dulled and his hold on reality slipped. Hair-raising laughter rang in his ears, despite how harshly they rung. His hands scrapped and bloodied, Jack used all his strength to crawl forward, trying to separate himself as much as humanly possible from the darkness bent on inflicting so much pain.

He felt hot liquid running down his chin, and it soaked his clothes. With each passing moment, his back blazed like a raw flame, his shoulder roared. Jack took shaky breaths, each frail and fighting to get past his cracked lips. Smothered in pure shadow, sight was useless. His grip of sanity was starting to waver slightly, and his body wasn't handling the immense damage as much as Jack would have liked, being slow to heal from the gashing wounds and searing cuts, making each second shear horror.

All sarcastic comments and remarks were scraped out of his throat, along with the ability to yell for help. Jackson struggled and fought with every fiber of his body to stay awake and resistant. Pitch wanted something from him, and the teenager figured it wasn't going to be given willingly. If Pitch wanted some kind of information, Jack knew the dark would have fun and torture him for as long as he desired. It would be too painful…he wouldn't be able to handle it… Jack had a suspicion that deep down, he didn't exactly have a sporting chance at surviving through the night.

OoooooooooooooO

North felt a sense of dread crawl into his body as they neared the dark forest of burgess. In the night sky, they were cloaked from the eyes of the Burgess citizens. Snapping the reins in his hands, Santa Claus leaned forward as the tip of his vehicle bent down into the thick wood. He couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't set. More than just paranoia… He KNEW Jack needed them desperately.

Toothiana sat closer to him, her breathing hitched as the two veered and began to sink. They never should have made the boy leave. He wasn't right after Jamie Bennett's birthday; whatever happened over there messed him up in some way. The only thing North wanted to do was get the child who was like a son to him back in the man's burly arms, where Pitch couldn't touch him. Locking his jaw, the Guardian aimed for the hard ground that was curiously white with a thin layer of fleeting snow.

As the blades of the sled glided onto the dirt, they slowed to a stop and looked around. In the middle of the trees and rock, there was a broken bed, old and wooden. "I thought it fell apart and into the ground with the Boogeyman…" Tooth whispered to herself. North sighed, his eyes not leaving the hole in the ground. "It did." Being careful not to make a lot of noise, the two Guardians stepped out of the sleigh.

OoooooooooooooO

Pitch appeared above the boy, a look of interest in his eyes. "Still not broken…very strange. And here I thought you'd be too sick to even move. I suppose it will take longer than I thought for it to set in. Well, no matter. I am a patient man." Jack was invaded by confusion as it filled his pounding head. Sick? What was he talking about? But his thoughts of question were interrupted by the faint sound of a Russian accent and the beating of wings.

Jack momentarily forgot how to breathe. They came back for him… They came back! Letting out a small gasp of disbelief and surprise, he turned to the sound of the noise, never being so happy to let it fill his ears. But as he sat up and made a move to run, strong arms locked around the spirit's thin figure, and a hand covered his bleeding lips. "Look who's here, Jack. Why don't we give them a warming welcome, hmm?"

He shook his head, despair filling him. "Don't hurt them…" Jack whispered feebly, but it was hardly audible by Pitch's hands. "But they can't see you just yet. That wouldn't make my plans go very smoothly." Jack's sharp, blue eyes flew to the entrance of the lair, where the noise was growing louder from the hole in the roof. "They're in for a nice surprise." The Boogeyman whispered in the child's ear, who fought weakly against his grip. He silently began to pull the struggling boy out of sight, and into the dark, where Jack felt cold metal against his skin, along with bars.

"Sweet dreams…" The Nightmare King said wistfully, a grin on his lips. "…If only there were any left." Jack managed to support himself on his arm. His eyes met that of Pitch Black, and his head swam. "Please…don't hurt them." He begged faintly, his throat burning as if gasoline was being poured down it at that very second. His enemy chuckled lightly, turning his gaze away momentarily to see two figures and a colorful sprite come from the opening. "Now what fun would that be?"

Jack felt his last bit of hope shatter, and he watched the gray man melt into the shadows. Hot tears began to wet his cheeks, leaving a trail in the dirt and red smears on his face as he dragged himself over to the bars, where he had a faint glimpse of his family. He couldn't speak loud enough above a mumble, and his lower lip trembled. Jack slowly stretched out his hand, trying to at least reach out, anything to let them notice, to warm them somehow…something. But it was a failed act of desperation. His unsuspecting friends were the last thing he saw before his head slid down the poles of the cage, onto the cold surface of the bottom. Pitch's fading laughter was the last thing he heard.

OooooooooooooO

Baby Tooth whimpered, and hid behind her mother's headdress. It was deathly quiet. North unsheathed his twin blades, and Tooth searched around with her eyes. There was no sign of the former guardian, or of the Boogeyman. The only sound was their own breathing.

Santa walked forward, looking for a wispy boy and a staff. But he saw nothing…only stone and darkness. A voice called from the dark. "What gives me the pleasure of having you two visit me?" North growled. "Vere is the boy?" Pitch's words hid a smile. "Who?"

This time it was the Tooth Fairy who spat at the hidden figure. "Where is Jack, Pitch?!" The grinning face of the King revealed itself. "Oh…I'm afraid he's not available at the moment. But I am certain you don't want to cause him anymore pain than he's already in." Tooth's bite in her voice disappeared. "What have you done to him?" she questioned in sudden fright, becoming worried. North put a hand on her shoulder for a moment to calm her, and addressed the man with a sharp tone. "Give us the boy, Pitch, and ve vill leave."

Pitch Black fully stepped out into the open. "…I don't think so." Sand, razor sharp, began to form in a circle around the group, building walls around them and a structure underneath their feet, lifting them off the ground. North gathered Toothiana close, as to keep the spinning grain from touching the fairy. The Boogeyman sighed, laughter following as he sunk into the floor. "For Guardians of childhood, you don't think things through." The sand suddenly shifted, and flowed back into the ground, dumping the three.

The group found themselves suspended in a cage, which creaked and swayed. Tooth began to sob quietly, sinking to the cage floor. "Now we'll never help him!" She cried, and Santa enveloped her in a hug. "Don't worry. We vill think of something…" As Tooth sniffled, she looked to her helper, who sat beside her. Almost instantly, an idea filled the fairy's head. She gasped and scooped up Baby Tooth in her hands gently. "Go get Bunny! He's in the Warren! He can help us!"

Baby Tooth nodded vigorously, and the three looked around for any sign of Pitch Black, who seemed to be gone for the moment. With a little help, the sprite was squeezed through the thin bars of the holding compartment. "Hurry, Baby Tooth…please. Get Bunny." As the Tooth fairy finished her whispered conversation, Baby Tooth flew away from her hands and away from the cage, disappearing into the hole in the stone roof.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Well….that was very difficult to write. Now I'M excited. Sorry it's taken so long to upload! But im officially on summer break as of the 7th, and now I'm freeeeeeee! That means I can write a lot more! New updates soon, I promise!


	16. Chapter 16: Last Hope

Winter's Illness

Chapter Sixteen: Last Hope

Bunnymund sat beneath the tall arch of a stone in his meadow, starring at the carved designs in its hard surface, the words of St. Nicholas still echoing in his ears. "And here I thought you were Guardian of Hope" An egg popped out of a glowing flower, and the Australian reached out and held it in his hands. "I'm right…aren't I?" The plain Easter egg only stared at him. Bunny sighed, the debate with his own self giving him a headache. …Had he made the wrong decision after all?

But didn't he have a right to be angry at Jack and the others? Sandy wouldn't just be okay with forgiving and forgetting…would he? North and Tooth were standing RIGHT THERE when Sandy was murdered. They were right beside him! So why did they immediately go to Frostbite's rescue?

His sore paw had begun to feel better, but not his building guilt. Should he have joined his fellow guardians, or did he make the right choice? There was no telling. Frowning, Bunny carefully set his egg down on the grass, where its little legs started walking. But while the Pooka's conscious hounded him, he didn't even notice a bright speck flying toward him at full speed until it slammed into his chest.

In fact, it stung when Baby Tooth ran into his gray pelt, startling Bunny, to say the least, out of his thoughts. "CRIGEY!" He jumped to his feet as his paw flew to the boomerang that rested in its holster. But he paused as he recognized Baby Tooth, and the fairy darted around his ears, chirping furiously. "What are you doing, shila?!" The Pooka eyed the sprite with caution as it sped around him, trying to listen to what she was saying. But he wasn't Tooth, which meant that he couldn't understand a single squeak that came from her mouth.

"Wait, I don't understand! Slow down!" Baby Tooth instantly ceased darting around the Easter Bunny, and halted just in front of his pink nose, her tiny, feathered chest heaving. She took a deep breath, and chirped out a long collection of sentences that left Bunnymund dumbfounded. She rolled her eyes in frustration, giving up on talking. Bunny began to resist, confused as the helper began to tug at his arms and ears, pulling him in the direction of one of the many exits in the Warren. "What's wrong? Did something happen that I don't know about?" Baby Tooth nodded, tweeting in excitement that he was beginning to comprehend. "Did they get Jack?"

The Aussie's brow furrowed as she shook her small head, a frown on her face. He sighed in frustration, but it was only a mask for the concern growing inside him. "I leave for a few minutes and they get themselves into more trouble! Ugh, it's like I'm a parent! See?! This is why I didn't want to go on that stupid trip to save…" He paused, the realization of it all finally dawning on him. "They went to Pitch, didn't they! It was a trap! We have to go get them!" The sprite nodded again, this time flashing Bunnymund a brief smile of relief. "Fly ahead, and I'll be right behind you, okay?" The colorful fairy let go of the Guardian's body and practically materialized over by a ruin exit, expectantly waiting for him to come.

With a new attitude, Bunny hopped forward and to the tunnel, where Baby Tooth shot inside, and began to lead him to Burgess, both going as fast as they possibly could. Aster E. Bunny didn't mess around when it came to his friend's safety, no matter if he was cross with them. It was all so stupid; the argument he had with them about Frost and what Sandy would have wanted him to do. If he had trailed along, maybe his family wouldn't be in this mess. Without another word to each other, the pair raced along the walls of the tunnel, listening to the pounding of paws, a set of small wings, and their own beating hearts.

OoooooooooooooO

Jamie groaned, bored as the summer heat filled the air. Sophie was out with their mom, and the boy was all alone with nothing to do. His friends were mostly out on vacation, or too busy to play. He laid out on the grass, starring up at the sky. A small part of him hoped to see a friend flying with the wind up there, but the only thing in sight was the vast blue sky. "Come on, Jack…" He pleaded to the silence, desperate for the winter child. "Please come back." He sighed. "It's boring without you."

Jamie inhaled deeply, allowing his eyes to close. When had summer become so uninteresting? It was probably after his birthday less than a week ago. Maybe he could take Abby for a walk, or draw a picture. But the urge to stay on the ground ruled out those ideas. Jamie plucked a dandelion from the grass, and examined it with half-heart. Where was everyone? What were the Guardians up to?

OoooooooooooooO

The tunnel grew in size, and Bunny couldn't shake the feeling of dread crawling up in his mind. That shadow sneaking rat-bag had his family, and there was no way Bunnymund was letting Black get near them, not without a fight. He momentarily wondered if this was the feeling the other's had when Pitch told them about Jack, but let it falter in his mind. Bunny felt his heart rate rise as he sped down the mossy path, light streaming from holes in the ceiling of the earth. He could feel that he was getting closer to his destination.

With each bound, flowers sprung up from the ground, and the comforting smell of the Warren drifted with them. Wind rustled Bunny's fur, blowing gently as he darted through the underground maze faster than sound itself. But despite the breeze, sweat was begging to cling to the Pooka's skin, and he couldn't deny he was worried…a lot. Pitch like to have fun, but the dark, cruel kind that no one wanted to take part in. And the fact that his fellow Guardians were even in the same room with him make Bunny twitch.

Baby Tooth flew by his side, squeaking nervously. As he sniffed in a new scent of territory, the Aussie stopped running and motioned for the fairy to become still. He could smell the hot Virginian air above them, and he heard the sound of cars and people. Bunnymund smirked as the earth above him crumbled away into a perfect circle, and he could see the sun begging to set from his position in the ground. Toothiana's sprite instantly went through it, and Bunny found his paws touching the grass.

OoooooooooooooO

Pitch Black smirked down at his prisoners from his throne, feeling better than he had in a long time. A nightmare nuzzled up against his hand resting on the stone chair. "Mm…hello…" It snorted hungrily as a response, and the Boogeyman chuckled. "Smell their fear? Good…but the rabbit is not here. That isn't exactly what I had hoped for. But fear not, my nightmare. He is coming to us. I can feel that ridiculous hope he so carefully protects practically shining around him." Pitch muttered in disgust. But at least the Guardian was coming, and he'd walk into a trap just like the rest of his stupid lot.

From his position, the Nightmare King could see his victims perfectly, although they were practically oblivious to each other's sight, so Toothiana and Nicholas couldn't find their stupid winter brat. Pitch was suddenly filled with new interest and smiled as Jack came into mind. How was his little "patient" doing? The poison had spread after their game yesterday, which Pitch enjoyed immensely. Although, he found it amusing that when he had talked about Jack's sickness, the child seemed confused at his words.

Could it be possible that Frost did not know of his predicament? Surely he did, or he wouldn't have been so afraid when Pitch mentioned it… Yes, he must know that there was SOMETHING wrong with him. And as Pitch Black rose to his feet, a grin touched his cracked lips. Who better to break the news than himself? It wasn't complicated once someone grasped the main idea of it all.

If Jack Frost refuses to join him willfully, he could simply use the disease that he inflicted him with to convince him instead. By the time the poison reaches his heart, he'll either be too weak to resist Pitch's tempting offer, or if he fights, he'll simply die and become Pitch's tool after he is taken over. It was all very simple and one less problem for Pitch Black. But the Boogey couldn't wait to get inside his head and use him to kill the others. The Guardians could watch as Pitch destroyed the boy's spirit and erase his memories, see him become what Pitch thought of as "Jack Black".

Yes, that had a nice ring to it. Without that blasted Sandman in his way, the King's plan was full proof, no matter what path the boy chose. And if he could control the winter spirit, the teenager could annihilate his entire family, and the pair could rule the world, side by side: Cold and Dark. His fearlings would haunt every child! There would be no Hope, no Wonder, and no light. He'd be more powerful than ever with Jack at his side. He'd be UNSTOPPABLE. And Frost wouldn't think against it, not caring about being feared. None of it would matter.

Focusing his attention back on the cages, Pitch woke up from his day dream. But speaking of dreams, it was about close to night. And with the night comes sleep. It had been some time since the Boogeyman had gone out and personally given nightmares to children. How he longed to cause torment and fear…a short trip would not be bothersome. After all, if the Easter Bunny happened to show up in his absence, his Fearlings would dispose of him easily. It was too tempting to resist. Exhaling, Black became one with the darkness, and disappeared.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Hehehe I updated! How was this chapter? Ooh, the suspense is building! I'm almost done with the next one, so expect it out soon. How do you think it's all gonna go down? Updates coming!


	17. Chapter 17: Pawn

Winter's Illness

Chapter 17: Pawn

"Be Careful!" Jack looked back at his mother, and smiled, laughing as he said, "We will!" Emma pulled on his hand, towards the lake, eager to go ice-skating. Jack looked her way and chuckled as she dragged him down the steps, and the boy took one last glance at his mother, his face saying that they'd be back soon. That he loved her, and that he'd make sure they'd get home alright.

They followed the path down into the woods, towards the back were a frozen pond was waiting. Emma giggled, unable to contain her excitement, and tugged on her older brother. "Come on, Jackson! Hurry!" He grinned, "There's no need to rush, Em. It'll still be frozen when we get there." She pouted. "Jaaaack…" Emma begged, looking too adorable and impatient all at the same time. "Please!"

Jack rolled his eyes, and gave in, giving her his familiar smirk. "Fine. Do you a piggy-back ride?" She nodded. He picked his sibling up and placed her on his back, careful to keep the blades of the skates away from her, and she locked her arms around his neck. He smiled. "Get ready… Get set…" Jack looked to her to finish, and Emma laughed, and shouted, "Go!"

The pair raced through the woods, and Jack sped along, sometimes spinning playfully and making his sister laugh. He scampered down the dirt trail, freshly fallen snow clinging to his hair and clothes, his moist brown eyes blinking against the small snowflakes that flew into his face. He felt his cheeks brighten and the cold nip at his nose, and Emma's giggles above him. It was moments like this that he enjoyed the most, the ones that he wanted to last forever. And today was Emma's day, her birthday, and he'd do everything to make it worthwhile. To his sister, this was the best present in the world.

"Faster, faster!" Emma screamed in delight, the biggest smile on her face. Jumping over every rock and log, Jack managed not to even scratch his bare feet. His mother warned him about frostbite, but he only wore shoes to church, because he loved space between his toes and to feel the ground beneath him, wearing them only when he had to. Shoes were just so…confining and didn't give him much friction, so barefoot he was.

As they neared the pond, Jack slowed to a stop, despite Emma's protest, who still wanted to play. But as her brother became still, Emma crawled off his back, red cheeked and ecstatic again about the ice. Jack grinned, and pulled the skates from off his shoulders, separating his pair and his sister's. "Now sit down so I can put these on you!" He laughed. Emma sat down on a fallen log, letting him take off her small, black winter boots, and watched him slip on and lace her skates. She squirmed in her seat, itching to have some fun. But Jack made her wait until he was wearing his shoes before she went anywhere near the frozen area.

"Hey, Emma? I don't want you going near the middle of the pond, alright? Mom said that since winter just started, it's not as thick there. So we just need to be a little bit more careful this time." Emma nodded, and pulled him toward the pond, practically jumping with happiness. Hand in hand, the two slid onto the smooth ice, gliding like they were on glass. Emma wobbled, and He immediately placed his hands around her to prevent her from falling. Jack steadied his sibling, careful not to let her slip as she held onto his palms, smiling. Her hands were so small compared to his…

Once she regained her balance, Emma began to move forward again, but she didn't let go of him. They circled around the edge of the pond, increasing in speed with each turn, laughing with glee. The girl was having so much fun; she was making him ecstatic, too. "Jack! Jack, watch this!" She let go off his hand, and Emma began to twirl, giggling as her brother smiled wide. "Wait for me!" He slid forward, grabbing her waist, and lifting her up into the air for a few brief seconds. She gasped in glee as she got butterflies. "Whoa! Ha-ha!"

Jack set her down, and guided her across the icy surface, the pair almost dancing. Emma looked up at him, a smile on her lips. This was going to be the best time of her life. Or so he thought… As they glided, Jack stumbled on a piece of wood in their way. Gasping, he fell forward, but regained his balance. Emma kept on skating. "Jack, look!" "One second, Em…" He picked it up in his hands, and felt the cold, hard branch. Better move it out of the way, he thought. Jack aimlessly tossed it out of their path.

He turned back around to his sister, who was trying to skate with one leg. "Don't hurt yourself!" Jack said with a little cautiously, but he watched her concentrate her hardest on moving forward with interest. "Come skate with me! We can play tag!" Emma voiced, beckoning him with her hand. Jack raised an eyebrow. "Please, Jackson? Please, please, please-" "Okay! Okay, I'm coming! Just calm down!" He laughed and trailed behind her, trying to catch his sibling.

"I'm going to get you!" "Nuh-uh! You're too slow!" Jack scoffed, his eyes widening. "Oh, really?" He moved faster, and caught up with her. "Look who's the slow one now!" Jack lunged forward, securing the little girl in his arms. Emma squealed, trying to get out of his grasp. She started to say something, but Jack began to tickle her mercilessly. "Ah! Jack, stop! Noooo! Ha-ha-ha!" Her squirming made Jack practically loose it, and soon they were both out of breath. They were flat on the ice, wiping tears of hilarity out of their eyes, dizzy from too much laughter.

Jackson, smiling like an idiot, tried to help Emma, who was giggling so bad, she couldn't get back up. "Give…me…your hand…" Jack could barely speak, chuckling uncontrollably. Somehow the girl managed to reach up, allowing Jack to grab her wrists and pull Emma to her feet. The two Overlands looked at each other for a few moments, battling the urge to laugh as Jack drew her close into a hug. "I love you, Emma…" He said, a grin in his voice. She hugged him tighter, burying her face in his shirt.

"Love you more!" She held on to him for a little while longer before saying, "But…can we go back home?" She looked up to him, her eyes wide and her nose red. "It's getting really cold…" Jack met her gaze. "It IS cold out here. You sure you want to head back?" She nodded, definitely sure. "Alright… Race you to the bank!" He pushed away from her, laughing as she followed immediately. Jack turned his attention back toward his goal, skating as fast as he could around the side of the lake, and secretly he planned to let her beat him to it.

But the sound of a thud caught his attention, and he turned sharply back around. Emma had tripped over the branch he had tossed out of their way earlier, and it lay a few feet away from her. He began to skate toward her quickly, worry in his voice. "Emma, are you okay?!" She looked up at him and smiled, melting his fear away. "I'm fine!" He sighed in relief as she got to her feet slowly. She had begun to step forward when a sharp crack appeared in the ice, the middle of the pond, making the smiles slip off their faces.

"Don't move…" Jack whispered to her, doing his best to keep his voice calm. His mind racing, Jackson slowly bent down and began to pull off his skates, one at a time, refusing to take his eyes off his sibling, who was beginning to shake with fright. She stared at the ice, terrified and unsure what to do, her eyes flickering from it to her older brother. Jack could see she was close to crying. Setting down his skates, his bare feet touched the surface of the pond, making them burn with numbing cold, and met her horrified gaze. "It's okay, it's okay! Don't look down! Just…look at me…"

"Jack…I'm scared!"

oooooooo

His head pounded, and a sense of nausea immediately swept over him as his hair-raising dream came to an end. Jack squeezed his eyes, trying to fight off the sick feeling that had suddenly hit him like a car. He groaned, fighting off the urge to black out. Wincing, he tried to sit up, only to have the air inside him leave, making his vision glitch. A high ring began settle in his ears, which made his head-ache unbearable. Gasping, Jack brought his hands up to his skull, itching to block out the painful sound.

His ripped hoodie clung to his skin, and so did his hair. He couldn't think. The little bit of light streaming in from the roof made his eyes water. The only comfort was the darkness, because everything made his head hurt, and it was quiet. Jack laid on his stomach, by the bars of the cage, ready to slip back into a nightmare. But then he remembered that Pitch had guests other than him.

OoooooooooooooO

The Nightmare king in pleasure at the sounds of the screaming children who cried out in the night. Dark sand flowed from his hands, traveling into every bedroom of the sleeping. Dark clouds filled the sky, blocking out the moon and every star. Shadows covered the towns and cities, bringing fear into everyone's hearts. He watched as many cowered into their pillows, unable to wake up from the nightmares raging on inside their minds. "That's it…" The king said, unable to hide his cruel smile. "Feel fear..."

Street lamps busted as the black grain charged through the roads, horses of bad dreams joining with it. He could practically breathe in the fright that came from the dreamers, and it made him crave more. New strength filled the boogeyman's body, allowing the dark desires that had been crushed for three months to resurface. Pitch had forgotten how amazing it felt. And he would be able to cause all the grief and darkness he desired, just as soon as the Guardians were out of his way.

But with his tools destroyed, he would need a new pawn to manipulate them with…

And then Pitch Black got an idea.

OoooooooooooooO

"Jamie… Jamie, I need you to wake up…" The small boy who had gone to bed stirred at the sound of his name. "Jamie…please." The room was dark when Jamie Bennett opened his eyes and saw the shadowed figure of a teenager standing over his bed. "Jack?" Frowning, he sat up and crawled over to a nightstand. Reaching over, Jamie turned on the lamp, illuminating the room to look back to his friend. But when he did, he gasped and froze at the sight of Jack Frost.

Bruises covered Jack's face, and blood was caked around his lip, temple and neck where gashes bled. His blue hoodie had rips trailing down the fabric, and was scarcely recognizable. Jackson's eyes were sunken in, and the structure of his face was obvious. The hands that clutched the side of the bed were dirty and wet, staining the sheets in black blood. He was struggling to stand as the child stared at him in horror.

"H-Hey kiddo…" He gave a brief smile before his knee gave out and he fell forward with a gasp of pain. Jamie scrambled to the edge of his mattress and caught him the best he could, being careful not to touch any cuts. They were eye to eye when Jamie cried, "What happened to you!? You're bleeding!" Jack grinned, but winced as he did. "Got myself into a little trouble… I need you to listen very carefully to what I'm about to say." The now wide awake child nodded his head, his eyes still roaming over Jack's appearance.

"The Boogeyman has me and the other Guardians trapped, and we are in a pretty sticky situation. But I think you can tell that I'm not doing so hot… We need your help." Jamie furrowed his brow. "Wait, if you're with Pitch, then how are you here right now?" "You're dreaming. Bunnymund should be coming to save us, and I want you to go with him." The boy frowned. "Wait... Help…How can I help?" The teenager smirked weakly at his question. "Just make sure HE stays out of trouble… When you wake up, Bunny should be near the Burgess forest. You know where that is, right?"

Jamie nodded, "The woods are a couple blocks away." Jack bit his lip, glancing at an alarm clock that rested on Jamie's dresser. "Find Bunny, okay? He's going to need you." "But how do you know?" "I have a feeling…" The spirit of winter began to blend in with the shadows, and become less visible as coils of sand wrapped around him, pulling the troublemaker away from the nine year old. "I gotta go." Jamie tried to hold on to his wrists, not wanting to lose the teen.

"Jack, wait!"

"We need you, Jamie."

"Don't leave! Jack!"

oooooooo

"Wait!" Jamie Bennett shot forward in his bed, breathing heavy as his large, brown eyes adjusted to the darkness. It took a moment for the dream to sink in. It had to be a sign. Jamie NEVER had dreams like that…ever. So, it had to be real. The Guardians needed his help! "Oh my gosh…I have to find Bunny!"

Ripping aside his covers, Jamie's bare feet touch the cold wooden floor in his room and he rushed to his dresser, pulling out the drawers and searching through the contents. "…No…no…yes!" He pulled out a battery-powered flashlight, old but handy. Wasting no time, he quickly tip-toed down the hallway, the stairs, and through the kitchen without waking anyone in the house. Smiling at his success, Jamie Bennett quietly eased open his front door, slid out, and closed it behind him. Taking one last look at his house, the child ran across his front yard and into the dark, not even noticing the pair of glowing eyes that watched from the trees, a grin touching its owner's cracked lips.

OooooooooooooO

Maybe he could call out, and they would hear. Jackson tried to find his voice, but his throat was still raw. A sigh of crumbling disappointment came from him, and the spirit let his eyes close, drawing his sore legs up to his chest. He buried his head into his arms, resting on his knees. It was hopeless.

The only sound that he heard was the creaking of cages and his own breathing. Jack refused to open his eyes, because when he did they played tricks on him. Something was seriously wrong with him. His shoulders felt like weights were being stacked against them. For once in his immortal life, Jack Frost felt lifeless and dull. Jack would've given everything he had just to feel like himself again for just a few moments.

'Look at you…'

Jack slowly peered over his arms, confused. Who was there? Was someone or something with him? He did not recognize the voice at all, and He saw no one. He was about to put his head back down when another speaker joined in.

'Pathetic, isn't he? You were right… They could have done better.'

"Hey!" Jack furrowed his brow and found his own voice, taking sensitivity to the words. He wanted to be left alone. They were beginning to make his mind throb. But it was not even a minute later that another joined the strange conversation.

'HE is the new Guardian? This must be a joke…'

Jack glared into the shadows. Now he was becoming frustrated. But the voices rattled on inside his head, each growing louder every time. With every new comment came anger and hurt. Soon it was all just like a radio blasting inside him.

'It's a wonder he hasn't gotten himself killed!'

'The Man in the Moon chose a KID?'

'He looks positively dreadful.'

"Be quiet!" Jack hissed, ticked off to say the least as his hands pushed against his head. "And leave me alone!" He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to keep his cool. But the speakers were making that very difficult.

'He got his family into this whole predicament. How irresponsible…'

'Does he make a mess of everything, or is this a first-time thing?"

"Shut up!" Jackson growled, his temper rising at the insults.

'Oh, look! He's getting angry!'

Jack found himself standing, his hands covering his ears as he yelled into the darkness, "GET OUT OF MY HEAD! GET OUT!" The voices laughed, refusing to be silent.

'What's wrong, Jack? Are we getting on your nerves?'

'See! He's spineless! Weak! A mistake!'

"I SAID GET OUT!"All pain suddenly forgotten, He was filled with rage he didn't even know he had. Snarling, He ran up to the bars and pulled on them, hit them, and he heard his own voice screaming. "PITCH! LET ME GO!" He slammed his shoulder against the confinement, in hopes of breaking the lock. His jaw set, Jack secured his hands on the metal rods and pulled harder and harder as frost laced up them immediately, his eyes dangerous. "I KNOW YOU HEAR ME!"

OoooooooooooooO

North's eyes hurt from lack of rest. The Russian guarded a sleeping Toothiana, who laid in a corner of the cage. But what was the point of sleeping? The only thing that they were able to dream in that place was darkness straight from the Nightmare King himself. But what had captured North's attention was the sound of a faint voice screaming in anger. And he knew it very well. "Jackson?"

North began shaking Tooth awake, glancing over his shoulder. "Tooth! Tooth, wake up!" The fairy slowly opened her eyes and peered up at the old man with confusion. "What's wrong?" "I hear Jack! He is close! Listen…you can hear!" She COULD hear, and her eyes widened. "Where is he?! Can you see him?" The elder Guardian helped her to her feet and Tooth peered out into the darkness desperately. They craned to catch a glimpse of the boy, but it was impossible with the blanket of shadow that surrounded them.

"What if he's hurt?! Why is he screaming?" Tooth became furious as her eyes filled. "If Pitch touches one hair on his head-" North grabbed her shoulders so that they were eye to eye. "He will be fine! I won't let Pitch hurt him, okay? Bunny should be here any moment. We must be patient and wait!" He pulled her into a hug. "I know you are frightened, but we are Guardians." The Russian looked out into the dark, hiding how hopeless his own eyes were. "We will get out of mess."

OoooooooooooooO

Bunnymund sniffed the air, practically smelling the darkness that surrounded the Burgess forest. Baby Tooth cowered behind his shoulder at the familiar sight of wood. "It's okay, shila…" The sprite nodded at his words of comfort, but stayed where she was. Hesitant with caution, the Pooka was slow to take the first few steps into the thick forest. But his friends were in trouble, so what choice did he have?

He was about to continue, but someone called out his name. "Bunny, wait!" Turning around, the Aussie was surprised to see a small boy: Jamie Bennett. The child clutched a flashlight, and was out of breath from running after the Easter Bunny. "Oi! What are you doing here, mate? You need to be in bed. Go back home!" Jamie looked up at him, and pleaded, "But I want to help you!"

"How did you know I was going to be here?"

"I had a dream! Jack told me!"

"Jamie, I don't think you should-"

"Let me come!"

"Look, buddy, there's no room for kids on this train-"

"Please!?"

The Pooka watched as the Bennett boy looked up to him, begging to go with big eyes. After a moment, Bunny scowled, and gave in. "Alright, fine! Come, but stay near me." Jamie nodded, and grabbed the Australian's paw, holding on tight. Bunny's lips twitched into a smirk at the action, but it disappeared as the three looked to the woods.

Keeping his boomerangs in reach, Bunny took a deep breath and pulled the boy behind him, walking forward into Pitch Black's territory. Chills ran up his skin, and he became alert as he stepped over the imaginary line. Keeping his eyes on the trees, Bunny proceeded into the woods, searching for the clearing and an abandoned bed. Every branch that was snapped, every rustle, made him nervous. If the Boogeyman had grown stronger, a stubborn Australian rabbit would be no match for him, especially with a little kid. This plan had 'Bad Idea' written all over it.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Okay… I know I haven't posted in a while, but I've had my reasons! I recently got back on Vacation, but guess what I got? SUN POISIONING. Figures, right? Anyway, did you guys like this one? Things are about to get INSANE. Like, seriously, it's gonna go down.

I've warned you guys!


End file.
